


see you in your wedding dress

by sanabaechu



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:02:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 23,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24822775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanabaechu/pseuds/sanabaechu
Summary: It sorta sucks seeing the one you love marry someone elseorMinjoo comes back home for the first time in a while for her best friend's wedding.
Relationships: Ahn Yujin/Jang Wonyoung, Ahn Yujin/Kim Minju, Kim Chaewon (IZONE)/Kim Minju
Comments: 11
Kudos: 88





	1. maybe it's not our fault

**Author's Note:**

> cross-post at aff; but condensed as this will be two parts instead of three.

When Minjoo gets to her seat there’s a child sitting in the seat beside her. 

“Hi!” she immediately turns her attention to the older woman, “I’m Jiheon and I’m flying alone today.”

“H-hello…” Minjoo stammers as she takes a seat beside her. Minjoo isn’t sure about what to do with this information, if anything she was hoping for a quiet plane ride. She already had enough on her mind without having to think of the minor sitting beside her.

“I’m going home to see my rabbit Marshmallow.”

Minjoo tries to keep up the pleasantries. She finds out that Jiheon is six and three quarters and she was travelling back to Korea alone to visit her grandmother and also her pet rabbit that they had to leave behind when they moved. She quietens down once the flight attendants begin their demonstrations about the safety procedures. Once it’s over Minjoo notes that Jiheon has been holding onto her wrist tightly whilst taking deep breaths. 

“Hey are you ok?” Minjoo leans over to see tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I’m scared…”

“Hey-hey, what are you scared about?” Minjoo isn’t sure what to do.

“I don’t like flying, I’ve never flown by myself before, I want to go home…” Jiheon’s voice starts increasing in volume and Minjoo panics as she notes wandering eyes land on her. The last thing she wants right now is for someone to think that she was abusing the poor kid when she wasn’t. Quickly she hits the button above her head, calling for the flight attendant who comes rushing over. Minjoo figures she must’ve been looking already considering how fast she reacted.

“Can I help you with anything?” Minjoo reads her name tag, Kim Chaewon.

“I think she’s really nervous,” Minjoo looks at the flight attendant who immediately lowers herself down to meet Jiheon’s eyes and reaches for her hands.

“You’re Jiheon right?” Chaewon asks. The girl nods her head, “It’s your first time flying alone right?” Chaewon asks her a bunch of questions that seem trivial but Jiheon’s not screaming anymore so that’s already enough of an improvement. 

Minjoo can feel the anxiety melting off of her now that Chaewon was there taking care of Jiheon. 

“It’s fine to be nervous, but you don’t have to be…”

“It’s just all of the things about the oxygen masks falling down, the life vest, I don’t remember what position to get into if something happens to the plane…” the young girl starts going off on a tangent and Minjoo can hear the hysteria in her voice. “What happens if we have to land on the water? I can’t swim! I’m too young to die.”

Minjoo wonders what kind of six year old talks like this. She’s certain that her vocabulary wasn’t as vast nor was her thought processes as developed as a child of that age. 

“Flight attendants please get ready for take-off.” The captain's voice crackles through the intercom and Jiheon’s grip on the both of them tightens, small hands curling around their wrists on either side of her.

The plane had been driving around the tarmac getting ready for take off as the other flight attendant moved to their designated seats. Chaewon smiles and sits down in the empty seat to Jiheon’s right and buckles up her seat belt. She reaches out to stroke Jiheon’s head to soothe her. “It’s going to be fine, situations like that rarely ever happen. But if it does you’ll have your life vest on you, and I’ll be there to catch you right at the bottom of the slide.”

“S-slide?”

“Oh yeah! It’s this really cool giant inflatable slide you get to slide down. It’s actually really fun!”

“Have you gone down it before?”

“Of course I have!” Minjoo tenses and Chaewon immediately clarifies, “For training! You have nothing to worry about Jiheon-ah. The pilots are my friends and they’re one of the best we have.” 

The plane engine roars louder as it begins to pick up speed on the tarmac which doesn’t go unnoticed by the bright-eyed six year old who starts crying over the sound. “Jiheon-ah it’s ok.” She tries to soothe her but it does little but Minjoo notices how she doesn’t waver as the child cries.

“So what do you do...?”

“Minjoo,” she introduces herself. Jiheon looks over at the other woman and wipes her eyes furiously, “I’m a pianist, I travel the world to perform for some really important people.”

“Who do you perform for? Anyone famous?” Jiheon’s immediately distracted by the thought that the tears cease immediately.

“Not anyone you’d be interested in kiddo.”

“Who’s the most famous person you’ve performed in front of?”

“Well the President for one, last time I pl-”

“What music do you play?” Jiheon’s already bored but of course a six year old wouldn’t care about the President of Korea.

“Uhmm, well anything so long as I have the sheet music but mostly classical.”

“Can you play EXO’s music? I like them!” Jiheon straightens up and looks at her with the roundest eyes.

“What’s your favourite song?”

“Tempo!”

Minjoo scratches her chin, “I’m not sure I know that one. I’m sorry…” she doesn’t miss the disappointment on Jiheon’s face when she breaks it to her. 

_Maybe she should’ve lied._

“Are you going back to Korea for a performance as well?” Chaewon asks. Minjoo purses her lips and nods her head. “Anyone famous?” the flight attendant maintains eye contact with her, the smile never leaves her face which Minjoo suspects has to do with her training. How can someone be so happy all the time.

“Not telling,” Minjoo winks at Jiheon as she presses a finger to her lips, “It’s a secret.”

“ _Pwetty_ _pwease_!” Jiheon begs and grabs onto Minjoo’s arm. She laughs nervously.

“It’s for my friend who’s getting married.”

“Is she famous?”

“She was pretty famous on our university campus,” Minjoo lets out a snort. The joke goes over Jiheon’s head but isn’t missed by Chaewon. Minjoo clears her throat at the lackluster reaction, “No, she’s not...” her voice trails off, cheeks turning a rosy hue.

“That’s not fun,” Jiheon huffs and crosses her arm this time.

“Tell me about it,” Minjoo leans in and whispers into Jiheon’s ear and nudges her slightly. Jiheon giggles, her grip loosening on both of their hands but still firmly holding onto them.

“She’s so lucky to have such an experienced pianist as you playing at her wedding then.” 

It’s not long before they’re in the air and Jiheon’s a lot calmer now that the plane isn’t shaking like it’s going to collapse in on them. The seat belt lights turn off and Minjoo lets out the breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding since take off. Minjoo looks down at the small red prints around her wrist and back over to Chaewon who was leaning closer to Jiheon.

“I’ve got to go to the toilet now!” Jiheon whispers to her, demeanour suddenly different to how she was twenty minutes ago as Chaewon helps her unbuckle her seatbelt.

“Do you need me to accompany you?”

“No, I’m old enough thank you,” Jiheon quickly rushes off leaving Minjoo and Chaewon sitting alone bewildered and laughing.

 _‘Thank you’_ she says to Chaewon but she’s not sure if she hears it over the sound of the plane engine.

+

The hotel that they’ve booked is a grand one. 

From what Yujin’s told her, the likes of Song Joongki and Jeon Jihyun have all had their weddings here. Not like she was anyone special though. It’s mostly because Wonyoung came from a wealthy family and her parents were insistent on a grand wedding. Otherwise knowing Yujin she would’ve happily walked into the courthouse and signed a marriage certificate. That or maybe get married at her favourite burger joint.

Minjoo wanders through the giant lobby, observing the sky high ceilings that surrounded her. Her feet echoed in the grand building despite the amount of people in the lobby around her. “Kim Minjoo!” she feels the impact before she can register an appropriate response.

Yujin wraps her arms around her arms, pulling her into a bone crushing hug. “I’ve missed you so much,” she says through gritted teeth whilst lowering her back down onto the floor.

“I think you just reset my spine,” Minjoo laughs and tries to wriggle free from her embrace.

Yujin hasn’t changed much since she’s known her. She’s still got the same round, bright eyes, brilliant smile, except her usual shoulder length hair is now just about halfway down her back. Her fashion sense is still simple - oversized hoodie, skinny leg jeans, black cap and white sneakers to finish off. Still she wouldn’t be Yujin if she didn’t look go no matter what she wore. 

Wonyoung is standing behind her, baseball cap covering her eyes but Minjoo can see the wide grin on her face. “Nice to see you again. Glad you could join us,” Wonyoung hugs her warmly, wrapping both arms around her.

“Ah well, when you leave me fifty messages, spam my e-mail and then threaten to physically escort me here I realised saying yes was the easiest option.”

“You should’ve kept resisting, Wonyoung would’ve sent a private jet to haul your butt back here.”

Wonyoung snorts, “The things I would do to make this one happy. You don’t understand how adamant she was in making sure that you were here for our special day.”

Yujin nods her head rapidly in agreement, leaning into Wonyoung and taking her hand. Minjoo knows all too well that all it takes is for Yujin to pout or smile and the world bends in favour of her. She can’t imagine Wonyoung being all that different.

“Ah, you shouldn't have…” Minjoo says behind a forced smile and nudges Yujin. Minjoo wants to ask her why she was so adamant in having her there. Why she couldn’t have left her just in her own bubble, far away from here but it’s like Yujin reads her mind.

“What kind of wedding would it be without my best friend?”

“Had to turn down a job in the states for this but how often do your friends get married right?” she mumbles under her breath.

“Alright, alright. We’ll write you a cheque for your time, Miss Kim.” Yujin rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, having heard her remark. “You could at least be more enthusiastic about how much you miss us. It’s been a year at least since we last saw each other.”

“But only a week since we last spoke over the phone,” Minjoo grins which only earns her a slap on the shoulder from Yujin. “I’m just kidding!”

It’s the nerves talking. It’s causing her to speak her mind too candidly, which made her seem quite blunt. To the many that didn’t know her, this can come off as unpleasant to be around. Not Yujin though. She knew by now how Minjoo talked, she understood Minjoo’s intentions. All that mattered was that Minjoo was here for the wedding.

“Yujin-ah, Wonyoung-ah, the minister is here and she wants to talk with you.” They all look up at the older woman Minjoo recognises as Yujin’s mother. She waves to the older woman who smiles curtly back at the familiar face.

“Sorry…” Yujin turns around and reaches for her hand to comfort her but Minjoo pulls away and places her hand on Yujin’s shoulder gently.

“What for? Go get ready for your big day. I’m going to check in and rest up. The flight was a bit crazy.”

“Tell me more about it later, yeah! I’ll come find you, ok?”

Minjoo nods and waves, watching as Yujin chases Wonyoung across the lobby. Yujin loops her arm around Wonyoung’s shoulder and drags her along behind her and they’re running head first like children behind her mother. There’s a flurry of laughter that disappears with Yujin and Wonyoung and it doesn’t take long before the loneliness settles in again.

+

Minjoo settles down in the hotel bar, despite the fact that she hasn't had dinner yet. 

The small bowl of olives they serve should suffice if anything. Otherwise it’s hard to muster up an appetite given the circumstances she had found herself in so it was better to just simply drink the night away. Plus you get drunk faster if you haven’t eaten - past experiences have taught her this. She orders a cocktail first - Sakura’s wish - a gin mixed with orange and cherry blossoms.

She stares at the petals floating in the drink floating around the ice as she swirls it with her straw. In a trance Minjoo lets the fatigue of the day consume her. She’s not entirely sure how much time passes when she realises that someone’s talking to her.

“Hey stranger. Fancy running into you again.” 

It takes her a second before she recognises who it was. She looked different out of her uniform, hair no longer in a bun but it sat in loose brown waves over her shoulders. She’s wearing an oversized blue dress shirt, top two buttons undone with fitted blue jeans and high heels. _Still pretty_. 

Minjoo tries to remember her name but the alcohol is beginning to sink in. Still it must’ve been obvious enough for her to introduce herself. 

“It’s Chaewon.”

“Of course.”

“Minjoo right?”

“You remembered,” Minjoo is beginning to feel guilty for forgetting so soon, but she blames it on the alcohol and empty stomach.

“I always remember a pretty face,” Chaewon smiles guilelessly. “Mind if I take a seat?” she gestures to the empty seat and Minjoo nods her head slightly.

“What brings you here?”

“Just came back from dinner, thought I’d get myself another drink. What about you? What are you doing here?”

“Having dinner,” Minjoo points to the olive pits and new drink the bartender has served her. “Actually,” Minjoo calls back the bartender with the flick of her hand, “What would you like? It’s the least I can do for the way you helped me earlier on the plane.” 

“Ah it was nothing, after all it’s part of the job.”

“Still,” Minjoo insists, “Had it not been for you I couldn’t have imagined how I would’ve been able to deal with her.”

“Not good with kids?”

“Not crying ones…” Minjoo tilts her head, remembering that the bartender had been standing in front waiting to take their order.

“Oh, I’ll have what she’s having,” Chaewon points to the pretty drink in front of her. She takes a seat on the tall bar stool beside her, placing her clutch down between them. “So I’m guessing you don’t live here since you’re staying at a hotel as opposed to being at your house right now?”

“Nope, I moved overseas almost three years ago.”

“Any reason why?”

“Wanted a change of scenery.” Whilst it wasn’t entirely a lie Minjoo doesn’t divulge into the main reason why she really left. Not like it mattered or that Chaewon would or should care.

“What about you or are you too busy flying there’s no point in having a home?”

Chaewon laughs, “I have a home, but it’s too far out to go home when I’m flying off to Dubai in a few days. Plus I think I’d go insane if I had to live alone in hotels for the rest of my life.”

“Oh don’t say that, I’m pretty sure you'll find a partner who will happily stay behind and order room service whilst they wait for your return.”

“Are you offering?”

Minjoo sputters and spits out the drink back into the glass. She can hear Chaewon giggling on the side whilst she reaches for a bunch of napkins. Chaewon dabs at the liquid on her thigh and up on her chest. In her haste Minjoo grabs Chaewon’s hand and shakes her head.

She coughs, swallows her spit, hard, and grabs the tissues from Chaewon’s hand. 

“I can do it myself.”

“Sorry, occupation habit.” Chaewon’s eyes never leave Minjoo. Observing closely as she dabbed the alcohol off her body. “Are you ok?” she asks.

“Yeah, fine,” she lies. There’s an uncomfortable feeling of water in the wrong pipe, her nose feels a bit sore and so does her throat. “Also, I wasn’t offering…”

Chaewon shoulder rises and falls and a chuckle escapes her lips. “No of course not...” Chaewon picks up her drink and finishes it, eyes watching the way the ice sank to the bottom of the glass as she drained the liquid from the glass. 

“Look sorry, I’m just not in a good headspace right now to be looking for anything serious…”

“I’m sorry, did I ask you to put a ring on me?”

_Fair point._

The last time Minjoo was in a relationship was a very short one of six months after she moved to Japan. Hitomi was the same age as her and they both had an interest in languages. Minjoo needed to learn Japanese especially if she was going to be staying there long term and Hitomi was interested in Korean. But maintaining a relationship is hard especially when you can barely have conversations with each other.

It fizzled out quickly and here Minjoo is, still single and maybe she’s alright with it. Mostly. Until she’s invited to the wedding of the girl she _maybe_ never got over. 

“Someone on your mind?” Chaewon asks and Minjoo looks over her bewildered.

“Is it obvious?” she responds, lips loose, feeling candid and friendlier now that the drink was beginning to sink in.

“Just a little.” Chaewon says like she’s trying to not rub salt into whatever wound Minjoo was nursing, “An ex?”

“Not even, we were really good friends, but it was just bad timing so nothing ever happened.”

“Is she coming to the wedding?” Chaewon strings together the clues from their conversation earlier.

“It is her wedding.”

“That’s rough… wait… you’re here to play for the wedd-”

Minjoo’s eyes meet hers and it’s enough of an answer but still she nods her head. “Yup,” she says, lips making a popping sound.

“Did they guilt trip you?”

“Felt a little like that.”

“So why don’t I help you forget her then?” Chaewon’s eyes slowly rise to meet her gaze.

+

Minjoo wonders how long it had been since she had been lying there, eyes wide open staring at the ceiling as she began to lose sensation in her arm from the weight of the other woman’s head resting on it. She tugs ever so slightly to ease the tension on her arm which only makes Chaewon stir and the arm wrapped around Minjoo’s waist to tighten.

She holds her breath, hoping that she wouldn’t wake her too soon before she could escape. But escape to where? In her haste Minjoo had led the flight attendant straight back to her hotel room and so the only other viable option she had was the hotel rooftop. Still she couldn’t stay here. Minjoo was beginning to sober up and the longer she stayed in her room the more she could feel the nauseating feeling of spite and self loathing bubble up from inside of her.

Minjoo lets out a sigh and gently lifts up the arm from around her waist. She sits up, trying to steady herself on the edge of the bed as she climbs to her feet. In the darkness Minjoo searches for her clothes before hastily slipping into her jeans and t-shirt and fishing for her phone off the floor. The screen flashed as she picked it up, 1:39AM and a message from Yujin sent just ten minutes ago. She shoves the phone back into her pocket without checking the message and pads her way to the door.

When she swings the door she catches Yujin with her arm in the air mid knock. “Oh my god,” Minjoo gasps, holding onto the door frame for support. Immediately she turns back around to see if the woman in her bed was awoken by it. When Chaewon doesn’t move after what feels like an eternity, Minjoo turns her attention back towards Yujin, “What are you doing here?”

“Are you with someone?” Yujin asks with a raised eyebrow suddenly standing on her tiptoes to try and peer inside.

“No,” Minjoo clears her throat and steps outside, using her body to push Yujin away from the door. Once the door shuts behind them and Minjoo can breathe a little easier she notices that Yujin doesn’t look like she’s ready for bed either. “What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep, didn’t you get my message?”

“Uhmmm,” she pulls out her phone, “I was about to read it.”

“Come get a drink with me?”

“Don’t you have to be up in a few hours?”

“I need a drink to get me to sleep and I didn’t want to do it alone.”

“Where’s Wonyoung?” Minjoo asks. The last thing she really wanted to do was to go for another drink as she was beginning to fight off the throbbing headache coming on.

“She’s asleep, plus I wanted to catch up with you properly since I wasn’t able to earlier.”

Minjoo knows that resistance is futile, especially for her when it came to Yujin. It always has been. “Alright, one drink,” Minjoo says, letting out a heavy sigh but the soft expression on her face told Yujin otherwise. She taps the back pocket of her jeans realising that going back in for her wallet would risk waking up Chaewon. “You’re paying though right?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Yujin chirps, looping her arm casually around Minjoo’s and bodily drags her down the hallway.

Minjoo wishes in that moment that maybe she had stayed in bed with Chaewon, because despising herself for hooking up with a total stranger at her best friend’s wedding would’ve been better than realising how much she had missed Yujin.

+

“You must have the world’s worst luck to have been placed next to an unaccompanied minor.”

“It does feel like that sometimes,” Minjoo confesses, eyes meeting Yujin’s eyes only briefly.

“Well I’m glad the flight attendant helped you out. I’m also glad that you sat through that just so you can be here for your best friend’s wedding,” Yujin swings her arm around and cuddles up to Minjoo, nuzzling her face against Minjoo’s. Minjoo tries to pull away but she knows that there’s no point in ever trying to resist Yujin. So she lets Yujin do whatever she wants. When she eventually pulls away Minjoo notices the glaze in her eyes. “Can I be totally honest with you?”

“What is it?” Minjoo asks, suddenly feeling nervous.

“I didn’t think you were going to come.”

Minjoo wants to tell her she honestly didn’t want to come. Afterall, it hurts seeing the one you love marry someone else.

“Of course I’d come,” she lies, “I’d do anything for you - _clearly…_ ” Minjoo tries to disguise her sincerity with sarcasm but Yujin sees right through it.

“Me too…” 

They’re sitting at the bar, two silhouettes side by side on the tall stools where neither of their feet touch the ground. Yujin’s finger traces the rim of her drink whilst Minjoo swirls her drink, head shrinking into her shoulders. There’s a bubble of silence that engulfs the both of them, the bar a lot quieter now than when it was earlier when she was with Chaewon.

“I’ve missed this,” Yujin lets out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. She blames her nerves, but also the time and the distance apart. She had been worried - _despite Minjoo’s reassurance_ \- that they had drifted apart. 

“The drinking or my cynicism?”

“Both, just mostly you, us hanging out like this, talking.” Yujin leans into the bar and props her head up with her hand, elbow on the table and the alcohol beginning to settle in making her feel relaxed and light. “Do you remember when we used to stay up so late talking that we would often watch the sunrise before either of us would suggest heading to bed.” Minjoo sits in silence nodding her head as she nurses her drink. “We would always have something to talk about even if we had already been talking for hours already...”

“Yeah it was because you always left your assignment till the last minute…” Minjoo rolls her eyes good naturedly, “...We had a lot of time back then.” 

Back when they were in university and classes started in the middle of the day, or that they could skip morning lectures in favour of a few more hours of sleep. Back when they only had each other.

They met in their first year of uni at a freshman gathering. Minjoo doesn’t remember much except for Yujin forcing herself into her life and eventually it just became a thing. The silence and calm in Minjoo’s life was suddenly replaced with Yujin’s loudness and chaos but she liked it. Liked how Yujin had so much life and warmth to her, liked how she wanted to be with someone like Minjoo.

They spend the next hour talking, Minjoo’s cold exterior melting with each glass of wine she downs and they talk like nothing’s changed. Like they’re freshman in college, staying up late doing their assignments, like Yujin isn’t engaged to be married, like the only thing Minjoo feels towards her is love and not bitterness.

“Are you going to head to bed?” Yujin asks as she hops off the seat. She wobbles a bit from the wine and grabs onto Minjoo to steady herself.

Minjoo holds her breath when she remembers that there was still a naked woman lying in her bed. Minjoo wonders if it would be ok to return, that maybe somehow Chaewon had woken up and gone back to her own room. “I’m going to hang here for one more drink, you go first, it’ll be a busy day today.”

Yujin pauses, digesting Minjoo’s words, forgetting that it was already almost four in the morning.

“Remember that rehearsal is at 10 AM!” 

“That’s as early as our comms lecture, and you know we never made that especially when we were up this late.” Two hours had gone, almost verging on three as Minjoo took a quick glance at her watch.

“That’s true, but I can deal with one angry lecturer and you don’t want to offend the minister. She can talk to God or something like that,” Yujin tries to stifle a laugh which morphs into a snort.

“Alright but if I’ve slept in you’ll know where to find me.”

“Kim Minjoo!” Yujin’s eyes widen as she places her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest.

“I’m just kidding, I’ll be there.”

“Goodnight Mindyu,” Yujin gently squeezes her arm before walking away and Minjoo tries her best to not look at her silhouette moving further away from her.

“Can you get me your strongest drink, please.” She was going to need something a lot stronger to put her to bed.

+

When Minjoo returns to her room an hour later Chaewon is gone and she’s completely tanked. Relieved she falls face first into the bed and buries her face into the sheets. Minjoo falls asleep with the smell of vanilla and lavender lingering on her bed sheets.

+

She wishes that when the alarm goes off the next morning that it was all a dream. That she wasn’t in some hotel room where the bed sheets still smelt of the woman she slept with last night. She wishes more so that she wouldn’t have to meet with Yujin and Wonyoung in the giant hall on the 22nd floor in twenty minutes for the wedding rehearsal because in fact she hadn’t rehearsed her own part. 

It had been a few months since Minjoo had last touched a piano and whilst she was certain that she had practiced enough in her youth to commit it to muscle memory she still dread the thought of performing in front of familiar faces. If it wasn’t for Wonyoung’s persistence Minjoo wouldn’t have agreed. In fact Minjoo would’ve made some other dumb excuse to avoid the wedding altogether. Yet here she was, hauling herself out of bed with a throbbing headache _(shouldn’t have had that last drink)_ trying to make herself look decent before she stepped out in public.

After washing up and brushing her hair, Minjoo slips into a comfortable oversized hoodie and jeans before legging it out the door. It was five minutes before eleven which meant given some time for the elevator to arrive on her floor and carry her down to level 22 she would have arrived at the hall with approximately three minutes to spare.

Despite not being late, it would still seem that Minjoo is the last to arrive. There are about ten other people casually dressed as well in the hall when she arrives. 

“Minjoo-yah!” 

The small redhead catches Minjoo from behind, swinging her arm around her shoulder and holding onto her from behind, “I’ve missed you so much.” She reaches up and tousles her hair before letting her go. 

“Eunbi unnie… it’s been so long.” 

“We’ve got so much catching up to do!”

“We do!” Minjoo tries to exclaim politely.

Eunbi was Yujin’s cousin who was a few years older than the rest of them. At the start they would often run into each other on campus and it was Eunbi who got Yujin and Minjoo into all the senior parties. 

“Come have lunch with me after the rehearsal today.” Minjoo’s stomach grumbles at the mention of lunch, the sound catching both of their attention. “Guessing that’s a yes?”

Minjoo nods.

“Great! I can’t wait for you to join us.”

“Us?” Minjoo furrows her eyebrows together, “Who’s us?”

“Oh it’s just me and Chaewonn-ie...” Eunbi twirls the other woman around slightly to meet Minjoo who freezes on the spot. She hopes in that moment that the reaction she was portraying wasn’t one of pure horror that she felt internally. 

“Chaewon…”

Chaewon’s eyes widen as she nervously looks over at Eunbi and back to Minjoo. “Have you two met before?” Eunbi asks suspiciously, drawing an invisible line between the two.

Minjoo is about to deny when Chaewon cuts in, “Yeah she was on my flight when I was coming in. She helped me look after an unaccompanied minor on the flight…”

“Were you slacking off again Kim Chaewon? Making your passenger do your job for you,” Eunbi teases her, nudging her ribs slightly.

“Unnie!” Chaewon whines, “You know I’m the hardest worker there is…”

“Working hard or hardly working if you ask me. You get to travel the world and stay at nice hotels at the company’s expense and you can’t even do your job.”

“Well maybe you should’ve picked a job that lets you travel the world and stay in nice hotels at the company’s expense.” Chaewon sticks her tongue out, the both of them seemingly ignoring Minjoo who was still trying to collect her thoughts.

“Sorry…” Minjoo finally speaks up and both of them turn their head slowly. The resemblance is uncanny, it’s almost frightening.

“Sorry! Where are our manners? Chaewon is my kid sister-”

“And Yujin’s favourite unnie…” Chaewon chimes in.

“And this is Minjoo, we went to the same college and she’s Yujin’s friend. They’ve known each other since the first year of college.”

As Eunbi draws the lines for her, Minjoo can’t help but feel like the walls were closing in on her as she struggled to breathe.

+

To be fair she’s never really asked about Yujin’s extended family. 

She knew Eunbi from college but they would only hang out with Yujin and even then the topic of their families never came up. Minjoo hadn’t even known Eunbi had a sister, always assuming that Yujin took on that role considering their relationship.

They’re standing down the hallway from the rehearsal hall, far from everyone else. Minjoo’s pacing back and forth so much that Chaewon’s convinced she could burn a hole through the floor if she kept moving.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were here for the wedding?” Minjoo speaks in a loud whisper.

“How was I supposed to know that when you said you were here for a wedding to think that we’d be going to the same one. Millions of people get married everyday, and I know for a fact that there’s five other weddings happening this weekend in this hotel as well...” Chaewon huffs at the accusation, she’s not even sure what she’s being blamed for. “Also I was hardly about to tell a stranger my schedule regardless.”

“Stranger?” she scoffs in disbelief. 

“Oh, I’m sorry - _are we friends_?” Chaewon crosses her arms and cocks her head slightly, for someone who was shorter than her, Chaewon had an immense powerful aura - one that Minjoo never thought the polite stewardess could have. There’s no more pleasantries between them, at least not in comparison to last night. “We only slept together last night...”

“That’s not what I mea- ” she stops abruptly. Minjoo knows she’s right. She thinks back to last night and all of the questions she could’ve asked, would’ve asked - if she knew, if they both knew. “Look I’m sorry. It’s just this was a huge mistake.”

“Ouch,” Chaewon winces.

“That’s not what I meant either!”

“Well you really need to figure out what you mean before you speak.”

Chaewon notes how Minjoo’s expression darkens by the moment, everything she felt written like a novel on her face through the wrinkle lines that formed in the way her eyebrows furrowed and lips curved downwards into a pout. 

Chaewon loosens up and tries to release the tension in her shoulders, “So the woman you’re still in love with who’s getting married is…my baby cousin…” 

Minjoo wants this to be a bad dream. A really bad dream. But if there’s one thing that Minjoo has learnt best how to do is to remove herself from situations she didn’t feel comfortable in. She turns around and starts walking away from Chaewon, “Where are you going?”

“I just need some fresh air…” Minjoo shouts back at her.

“Minjoo, it’s fine…” Chaewon chases after her. “Honestly, why are you even stressing?” she grabs Minjoo’s arm but the taller woman swings her arm backwards to get away. She sees the hurt in Chaewon’s eyes and a wave of guilt washes over her. “Look, I don’t know what to say - but I’m sure that this is all fine. We’re going to continue acting like we don’t know each other and in a few days when the wedding is over we’ll never have to see each other again. No one will ever find out.”

“Yah Kim Chaewon! Kim Minjoo! What are you two doing here?” Eunbi rushes down the corridor towards them with her handbag over her shoulder. “Are you both ready?”

“Ready?” Chaewon asks, looking at Eunbi.

“Yeah, Minjoo said she’d join us for lunch today.”

“Look unnie, I’m not feeling all too well…”

She puts her hand to her stomach and also her forehead and lets out a puff of air. She’s really not feeling well but this isn’t something that you can see either so it’s hard for her to sound convincing. 

“Nope,” Eunbi shakes her head, “I’m not taking no for an answer. Let’s go!” She fills the awkward space between the two, linking arms with the both of them as they head out.

+

“What have you been doing since?” Eunbi asks after only taking a quick glance at the menu. She seems far more interested in what Minjoo has to offer as opposed to looking at the food apparently.

Minjoo twiddles her thumbs and tries to focus on Eunbi entirely, but she catches glimpses of Chaewon from the corner of her eye regardless, seemingly not paying attention to the conversation as she scans the menu.

“Oh, nothing much. You know me, I spend days practicing in between performances. I’ve been picking up some photography as well since there’s always so much to see in Japan.”

“Yah, you rascal. You were meant to invite me over once you settled. It’s been three years and you still haven’t.”

Chaewon laughs out loud, lowering her menu, “Unnie, I’m certain that the issue isn’t about Minjoo- _sshi_ here inviting you, it’s whether or not you’d take a holiday and travel.” Minjoo is surprised to see Chaewon talking so casually despite everything. It’s probably all the training she goes through, learning to deal with a variety of social situations. Afterall when you’re thousands of meters in the sky in a small tin box, if something gets awkward there’s really nowhere to run. 

“She has a sister who’s a flight attendant and she still wouldn’t travel with me. At least I had Yujin to accompany me on a few trips...”

“I know,” Eunbi rolls her eyes and kicks Chaewon under the table. The younger of the two winces in pain and moves her chair away from her and closer towards Minjoo. “I just wanted to give her a hard time because she hasn’t even been bothered to return home to visit her friends in the past three years. The next time we’ll see you is at someone’s funeral, you rascal.”

“Unnie, I’d at least visit you on your deathbed,” Minjoo says this so sincerely that it makes Chaewon burst out into laughter at Eunbi’s reaction. The older woman was rendered speechless by Minjoo’s innocence. 

“Yah! It’s still years from now! That’s my point…”

Minjoo tries to keep a straight face but finds it too hard with Chaewon laughing beside her to maintain. She chuckles at first and turns back to Eunbi with a mischievous grin on her face. The oldest of the three glaring at the both of them.

“Maybe it’s a good thing you two have only met now, would’ve been hell on earth having you two together.”

“Unnie, you wouldn’t want to encourage this would you?” Chaewon tilts her head towards Minjoo and smiles sweetly, raising her finger to her cheek, trying to act cute and innocent. The only thing Minjoo notices is how close Chaewon’s head is to resting on her shoulder but the issue of proximity and Chaewon seems trivial when she remembers that she’s been in her pants.

Minjoo instead lets herself get carried away by the atmosphere and releases some of the tension she had been holding in her shoulders. 

“Yah, don’t corrupt Minjoo, she’s innocent.”

“If she’s friends with you and Yujin she’s already corrupted!”

Eunbi sticks out her tongue playfully and Chaewon mimics her. They feel a bit reminiscent of the way Eunbi and Yujin sometimes acted as well. There was no doubt that Chaewon wasn’t part of the same family.

“Are you seeing someone?” 

Minjoo wrings the cloth covering the table, “N-no,” she stutters, so apparently aware of Chaewon despite the fact that she didn’t seem to be paying attention anymore as she skims through the menu.

“Why?”

“Well, I mean does anyone ever know the answer to that?”

“Sometimes. Like are you not looking? What aren’t you looking? Is there already someone and you’re not there yet?” Eunbi claps her hand and points her finger at Minjoo causing Chaewon to jump in her seat. Maybe she had tuned back out.

“No, I’m not looking.”

“Why?” Eunbi asks and Minjoo lets out a groan from the back of her throat.

This is why she hates weddings. For some reason one couple getting married seems to make others think it’s ok to discuss everyone else’s relationship status.

“What about you?”

There are probably far more interesting things to talk about rather than the topic of her non-existent love life. There’s nothing deep about her not being in a relationship. She just hasn’t found the one, nor is she looking. Minjoo’s more of a _let-it-happen-natrally_ kind of person.

“I’m still with Hyewon. Going on eight years...”

“Still not married yet though,” Chaewon drawls from behind the menu and flicks the page.

“Giving you some time to catch up, baby sis,” Eunbi leans over and pinches her cheeks. Chaewon rolls her eyes and swats Eunbi’s hand away with the menu. “You know mum’s disappointed you didn’t bring anyone to the wedding. She told me to keep an eye out for any of Yujin’s single friends to introduce you to.”

Chaewon wants to laugh. “Mum’s always disappointed, I’m not breaking new ground with anything.”

Their mother’s idea of happiness for her was to always stay by her side in Korea instead of flying all over the world, settling down with someone and starting a family. 

“Don’t make it awkward in front of Minjoo,” Eunbi says in a hushed tone but still loud enough for Minjoo to hear.

“Honestly it’s fine, so long as you’re not dissecting my love life go for it.”

Chaewon grins, mimicking Minjoo’s expression whilst Eunbi looks at the both of them with narrow eyes. “You two…” she draws an invisible line between the both of them, “You’re like two peas in a pod… I don’t know if I like this”

+

There’s an incessant knock at her door that drives her insane - more so since she’s trying to take a nap in the afternoon. Afterall she hadn’t had the chance to nurse her headache when she was thrown into the spotlight and her body was beginning to catch up to her.

“There’s a sign-” she’s about to combust at the person on the other side of the door when she realises it’s Yujin leaning against her door frame.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“So I need your help.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can you put on some shoes?”

“Where are we going?”

“Please don’t ask, just put on some shoes…”

Minjoo reluctantly slips into the pair of shoes by the door and lets Yujin take her by the hand, whisking her away from her room.

+

Minjoo’s always had a problem saying no to Yujin. So much that she had to move countries as an excuse to not see her.

She’s standing in the giant ballroom with the entire bridal party, feeling completely under prepared for what was about to come. “So Chaewon’s partner for the wedding isn’t here yet and we were wondering if you could fill in her place before the wedding.”

“I can’t dance. Nor do I know the choreography.”

“It’s alright, don’t tell Wonyoung but everyone’s pretty much forgotten it as well. We’re using you as an excuse to go slow and re-learn the choreography.”

“Yah, do you want to die?” Minjoo says through gritted teeth, voice low and stern.

“No, which is why you’re here…” Yujin rolls her eyes and immediately changes her tone and posture when she notices Wonyoung walking towards them. “Baby,” Yujin calls out to the other girl.

Minjoo shudders, the pet name almost sounding like nails on a chalkboard in the way that Yujin says it.

“Are we ready yet? They’re going to do a slow run through before we figure out our formation.” Minjoo’s eyes follow Wonyoung’s hands as they slide down Yujin’s arm and laces themselves together. “Thanks for helping us Minjoo unnie...” Wonyoung winks and skips back into the middle of the dancefloor with Yujin as they both take their starting position.

The main couple starts dancing first together before the entire bridal party is meant to enter, twirling around them in a graceful display and then dancing off again so it ends with them. At least that was the gist of what Yujin had told her.

“You can’t say no, can you?” Chaewon stands beside her and crosses her arm, nudging her slightly.

“What makes you say that?” Minjoo snorts, letting herself be the butt of the joke. She turns around and looks at Chaewon’s hand, waiting for hers. Minjoo grabs her hand and lets Chaewon guide her on where to place them. She knows she should be watching the instructor’s guide but she feels a bit too preoccupied with the scent of vanilla coming off Chaewon’s head.

They side step awkwardly trying to get used to the proximity and adjusting their bodies so that they melded together better. This didn’t seem to be an issue when they were together last night without any clothes, in fact if she thought about it, Minjoo remembers how easy it was to match rhythms with Chaewon. She also remembers how impossibly smooth her skin was and the way-

“Are you a good dancer?” Chaewon asks, interrupting her train of thought. 

Minjoo feels a fire rip through her cheeks. She swallows hard and meets Chaewon’s eyes briefly.

“I don’t know, never really tried. You?”

“A bit of a prodigy if I do say so myself.”

Minjoo wonders how she so effortlessly ignores everything that has happened between them in the last forty-eight hours whilst Minjoo lives in fear of being caught. If Yujin found out that she slept with her cousin Minjoo couldn’t imagine ever facing her again.

Before Minjoo knows it Chaewon’s twirling her around on the spot and it’s not long before she lands back in her arms.

“Showing off now?” Minjoo asks breathlessly.

“This isn’t even the half of it,” Chaewon takes the lead, and picks up the pace, spinning them both around on the dancefloor.

“This isn’t even dancing anymore,” Minjoo laughs out loud, throwing her head back and gripping onto Chaewon even tighter as the force from the spinning threatens to tear them apart. 

“What’s wrong? Can’t keep up?” Chaewon teases and it riles Minjoo up. She stiffens up and her feet lock up sending Chaewon dipping backwards. Minjoo sees the quick flash of shock in her eyes as she tumbles right into Minjoo’s arms. 

“You caught me,” Chaewon pants, hand curled around Minjoo’s neck. They’re both still in the position, trying to regain their focus from the excessive spinning. 

“Ladies! Focus!” the dance instructor shouts at them and Minjoo quickls stands her up. 

They giggle like they were in high school, caught out by their teacher. “Yah, what was that,” Chaewon playfully smacks her shoulder. Minjoo straightens herself out and clears her throat, offering her hand out again for Chaewon to take.

“M’lady,” Minjoo snorts.

+

They drag her out to dinner that night with them - Wonyoung, Yujin, Chaewon, Eunbi and her partner Hyewon.

Minjoo hates it.

She had only intended to be back in Korea temporarily and yet she’s found herself thrusted into every conceivable social situation she had wished to avoid.

“So what are you doing for the bachelorette party tomorrow…” Wonyoung eyes all the older girls at the table before finishing on Yujin who merely offers her a shrug.

“I know as much as you do.”

“Aye, you can trust us with Yujin, she’s with family, what’s the worse we could do...” Chaewon wraps her arm around Yujin’s shoulders and pulls her away from Wonyoung.

“No - save me,” Yujin breaks free from Chaewon and latches back onto Wonyoung, drawing laughter from the table. “If only you were around when we were growing up…” Yujin’s eyes dart back between Eunbi and Chaewon, “They always bullied me because I was the youngest. Well look who’s laughing now! I’m taller than the both of you.”

Chaewon raises her eyebrows and glances over to Eunbi who mimics her expression. Both women nod their head, a smirk on their lips and immediately Yujin regrets it.

“Unnie-deul…” she says sweetly, tone switching immediately. “I love you.”

Even Minjoo lets out a snort.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, I’m just so curious. My own friends won’t tell me what they’re doing for my hens night.”

“I have complete faith and trust in your friend Yena to ensure you have a good night,” Chaewon flashes a sheepish grin. “If all the previous times we’ve hung out has been an indication of anything.”

“I’d actually be more worried for you than you should be for Yujin,” Eunbi interjects.

Minjoo feels like an outsider watching as they spoke about people she has never met and plans she had only just heard of. She sits in silence, observing the interactions between all of them. Like how Hyewon is resting her head on Eunbi’s shoulder so casually whilst the older woman scanned the drinks menu in front of her.

There’s Wonyoung who has her hand resting on Yujin’s thigh, leaning into her as she tried to have a conversation with Chaewon who sat on the other side of Yujin. Then there’s Yujin, looking straight at her mouthing something that she figures out to be an ‘Come with me to the toilet?’

Minjoo nods.

“Alright, if you could excuse me, ladies, Minjoo and I need to go to the bathroom.” Yujin flicks her wrist, gesturing towards Minjoo.

Minjoo pushes out her seat and follows as Yujin weaves her way around the tables and chair, to the bathroom.

“How are you?” Yujin asks, once they’re inside and alone.

“Tired, afterall my nap time got disturbed because of you,” she says whilst sitting in the toilet stall beside Yujin.

“I’m proud of you, Minjoo! You’ve finally stopped being a grump and you’re really trying to make some friends.”

“Hardly.” 

Minjoo opens the door of the stall only to be greeted with Yujin’s reflection smiling at her cheekily.

“I saw you and Chaewon unnie earlier having fun during the dance practice, the old Minjoo would’ve never done that.”

“What does that mean?”

“Please, we used to go to so many college parties and all you would ever do was stick to my side, even when there were so many people who were interested in talking to you.”

“I doubt it was me, we all know it’s your personality that attracts everyone.” Minjoo rolls her eyes, bumping Yujin’s hip to move her out of the way so that she could wash her hand.

“Wow, so childish,” Yujin teases, reaching across Minjoo for the pile of paper towels on the other side. Her face moving so obnoxiously close it makes Minjoo jerk backwards as to not bump heads.

Minjoo grumbles something under her breath about being childish as well whilst suppressing a laugh. She splashes water upwards right into Yujin’s face and cracks up laughing. 

“Kim Minjoo!” Yujin shouts, scoops a handful of water and throws it back at her. 

“Ahn Yuding!” Minjoo cries back in protes. She’s more unfairly drenched from Yujin’s handful than Yujin was with her flick of water.

Yujin’s eyes widen in shock before morphing into crescents. She reaches for the tissues and hands them to her in bunches, “Sorry,” she says with a laughing tone, helping Minjoo pat at the beads of water hanging on her hair. “You really don’t know the effect you can have on people…” she says softly.

“Hmm?” Minjoo snaps out of her daze, wondering if she had heard correctly.

Yujin scrunches the paper towels and throws them into the bin beside them, “The parties…” she says, “You had a few people too who would always be vying for your attention, but you always seemed too dense to notice.” Yujin pushes the side of her head gently.

Minjoo smirks, “Maybe it wasn’t that I didn’t notice, maybe it was because I was just interested in something else…”

_Someone else._

“What happened to you?” Chaewon smirks the moment she spots Minjoo coming back from the toilet, hair looking a little flatter than before and t-shirt with a bunch of wet spots. 

“Ask Ahn Yuding over there.” 

Everyone snaps their head in the other direction at Yujin who looks at her accusingly, “She started it!” She points her fingers at her.

“Minjoo would never…” Eunbi winks at her from across the table.

“You guys really do treat me as a threat, don’t you?” Yujin pouts and leans into Chaewon who strokes her head lovingly.

“Aigoo,” Chaewon hugs her, “Don’t worry, as your maid of honour, I’ll protect you...up until the wedding.”

“Only up until the wedding?” Yujin asks in disbelief.

“Well I mean, after that you have your wife.”

“Wait, that’s what I have to do as her wife? That’s going to be a hard job...” Wonyoung says, jokingly.

There’s a burst of laughter at the table as they watch Yujin cuddle up to Wonyoung. 

+

They’re supposed to gather in the lobby at four in the afternoon the next day.

Minjoo’s leaning against the couch, leg casually crossed over each other whilst she waited for everyone to arrive. It would seem - despite everything that she was too eager since she’s the first one there. That being said, by all means Minjoo was actually on time. She arrived in the lobby at exactly four on the dot. Afterall it wasn’t really that hard to leave her room with a minute to spare. 

She’s dressed in an oversized black suit with a black camisole underneath.

“Didn’t expect you to be the first one here,” Minjoo looks up at the familiar voice heading in her direction.

It was Chaewon, dressed in a single strap black dress that ran just past her knees with a split down her thigh. Minjoo notes the way the dress hugs all of her curves, long brown hair in waves, make up darker than she’s used to with a deep red lip. 

“You look good.”

The comment catches Chaewon off-guard, causing a grin to creep on her lips. “You look good too,” she says. Good is an understatement, that dress is _sin_ , she wants to say - especially on Chaewon.

Minjoo hates how, despite the fact that she had been in bed with her, that she’s found herself so much more aware of Chaewon. It’s no longer just about the way her skin feels beneath her finger tips, or the way her lips feel on her neck or the way she moans her name. It’s more now.

Like the way she winks and how she playfully hits people when she laughs. Like whenever she’s concentrating she tends to tuck her hair behind her ear and pushes it out of the way over her shoulder. Like how Chaewon looks good in her stewardess uniform, hair tied neatly into a tight bun or sweatpants with a white t-shirt, simple black pants and a blouse and well - this.

“Thanks, bought it this morning since I wasn’t really expecting to be joining.”

Chaewon steps closer towards her to get a better look, she brushes something off Minjoo’s shoulder and straightens out her blazer. “I love it…”

“So can you tell me what we’re doing tonight? The only clue I got from Eunbi was _‘look hot’_.”

“Oh you know, the usual pre-wedding hijinks, good food, good company, plenty of drinks and we don’t go home till the sun rises.” 

“This is standard wedding hijinks?”

“Oh and a magician.”

“Like a magic-magician, or like a magician where he’s going to be _Evanesco-ing_ some clothes…”

“Evanesco-ing?” Chaewon raises an eyebrow.

Minjoo closes her eyes and nods, “Sorry, Harry Potter reference. It’s a vanishing spell…” she stumbles over her words ungracefully. She curses internally to herself, certain that easily one of the prettiest women she’s ever met probably now thinks she’s the biggest dork if she didn’t already realise that.

“I see… you’re into Harry Potter?”

“N-no. Well yes…” she says, sounding resigned.

“That’s cute...nerd,” Chaewon says affectionately, fingers playing with the hem of Minjoo’s blazer. Minjoo feels her ears burn up, brain melting into a puddle, “But I guess you’ll have to wait to find out more as the night unfolds.”

“This isn’t even my bachelorette party.” Minjoo whines in protest. She pouts her lips and shakes her shoulders a little. 

There’s just something about being around Chaewon that makes Minjoo lower all of her guards, turning her into a version of herself she barely recognises. She doesn’t mind it all too much though because seeing Chaewon’s smile somehow makes it worth it for her.

“How are you holding up anyway?” Chaewon asks. “The last few days must be rough.”

Truth be told Minjoo goes through it in waves. There are moments where she’s accepted it. It’s easy to ignore what’s going on around her when she’s being forced to focus on something else. It’s only late at night when everything is quiet that she feels most out of her depth. Right now however, she feels fine.

“Can’t complain…”

“Good, I’ll make sure to keep you occupied tonight,” Chaewon winks.

“I’ll keep you to it.”

“Wait a minute, I thought we were going to Yujin’s wedding?” Eunbi’s voice draws their attention, making both of them turn their heads to find the other three walking towards them. 

Minjoo suddenly notices how close Chaewon is standing to her and awkwardly turns her body so that she faces Eunbi. If Chaewon notices it she doesn’t react. “You’re ten minutes late.” Chaewon complains.

“Yeah but we have the loot,” Eunbi points to Yujin.

“Are you ready, Yujinnie?” Chaewon meets her eyes, corner of her lip tugs into a smirk.

“Nope.”

“Well tough luck, the limo is waiting.”

+

The magician was in fact an actual magician. 

He was an act during their dinner party at a reservation Eunbi had made in Gangnam. It was actually Hyewon who suggested the rooftop area for dinner overlooking the city below them. Except it’s not a bachelorette party until they end up at some obnoxious night club, fighting their way through the ocean of bodies to get a space on the dance floor.

Minjoo’s sitting at the booth that Chaewon had reserved for them, offering to mind their drinks in case anyone wanted to try something funny.

She notices from across the room the bridal party. Eunbi, Hyewon and Yujin were dancing the night away with a few other of their friends that had caught up with them at the club. Minjoo knows a few of them, old college acquaintances mostly - who seemed surprised to Minjoo there after so long - and then there were a few of Yujin’s work colleagues she had never met.

Chaewon’s at the bar, talking to man. He’s got that sharp jaw, hair perfectly styled, dress shirt showing off his broad shoulders aesthetic and they have been talking for at least twenty minutes at this point - not like she’s counting. She definitely has, however, counted the number of times that man’s eyes has trailed down to Chaewon’s chest - five to be exact.

“Kim Mindyu!” Yujin stumbles over into the VIP section where their booth was, security guard eyeing her closely with Minjoo reassuring him that she’s got her. “What chu lookin’ at?” Yujin slurs as she takes a seat beside her. Yujin leans over, bumping her head against Minjoo’s shoulder before settling into the crook of her neck.

“Just keeping an eye on you guys,” Minjoo says, which isn’t entirely a lie.

“There she is!” Yujin straightens up when she spots Chaewon from their table. It was the perfect vantage point where they were placed to see the entire floor below them. “She disappeared for a while and we thought she was back here with you…”

The guy laughs and leans in closer, whispering something in her ear. “Is this a normal occurrence?” Minjoo asks.

“Chaewon unnie? Getting hit on? Yeah…” Yujin snorts, “You should’ve seen her when we were in high school. I pretty much had immunity for being Kim Chaewon’s cousin. Everyone wanted to get in my good books so I could put in a good word for them with her.”

Minjoo throws her head back and lets out a loud laugh, “And I’ll bet you abused that so much.”

“She gave me her blessing - so long as they were being nice to me she hardly cared.”

“Was anyone ever good enough?”

“In high school? Nah… at least not for her, I thought there was some potential… some relatively rich kids she could’ve gone for,” Yujin snorts. “There was someone a few years back but I guess it didn’t work out…” Yujin’s voice trails off and she turns her head suspiciously to Minjoom “Why? Are you interested?” Yujin asks. She moves in so close that she’s right in Minjoo’s face causing Minjoo to recoil backwards. She’s not sure why but it feels like a test from Yujin.

“No,” Minjoo denies immediately.

“Are you sure?” she asks, “I saw you guys earlier in the lobby, you two looked like you were really close.” Yujin narrows her eyes.

Minjoo wonders what the harm would be if she told Yujin about everything. It wasn’t as if she did it on purpose and how was she supposed to know that Chaewon was her cousin having never met her. Plus, why would any of this matter regardless, it’s not like she cheated on her or anything. 

“Anyways, Chaewon’s pretty and smart, she knows so much about the world because of how much she gets to travel…anyone would be lucky to have her.”

“Like mister perfect jawline with the sharp nose over there?” Minjoo cocks her head sideways to where Chaewon was and raises an eyebrow. Deflecting was always a strong point. She grabs her glass off the table and finishes the rest of the drink.

“Get him, Chaewon unnie,” Yujin cheers from her seat, watching the way Chaewon had her fingers wrapped around his bicep, playfully pushing him away as he leaned in closer. The man uses this opportunity to put his hands on her, caressing her arm and pulling her a bit closer to him.

“Hey, that’s your cousin…aren’t you supposed to be protecting her?” Minjoo grumbles, feeling ill in the stomach suddenly. Maybe she needs some water. 

“She’s old enough,” Yujin sighs and leans back into the couch, grabbing one of the pillows on the chair to hug. She closes her eyes slowly to stop the nauseating spinning sensation she was experiencing. 

“Are you ok?” Minjoo asks, one arm resting on her shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine!” Yujin says loudly, “I’m really happy. Happy to be here, happy you’re here,” she points at Minjoo’s face, “Happy - happy!”

“I’m going to go get a drink. I’ll bring you back a glass of water?”

Yujin looks at her and nods, “Thank you, Mindyu-ya,” she says before flopping back onto the couch.

Minjoo walks down the stairs from the second level and weaves her way through the crowd on the dance floor. The sweat from people’s hair flicks onto her face making her grimace in disgust. Some of them even try to dance with her as well but Minjoo quickly dodges and swerves out of the dance circle beginning to form around her.

The guy shoots her a look over Chaewon’s head to Minjoo who was marching in their direction with determination. “There you are,” Minjoo interrupts them, placing a hand in the middle of Chaewon’s back.

“Minjoo, hi,” she says, raising her eyebrows, leaning into her hand. “Are you alright?”

Chaewon turns her body around, resting her hand on Minjoo’s waist. It’s hard to see but despite the darkness she’s trying to examine Minjoo’s face.

“I’m fine.”

“Minjoo, this is Bomin,” Chaewon turns around and gestures towards the man she had been talking to for the past half an hour.

Bomin’s smile is a bit strained - already too aware that when another girl walks over to her friend at the bar that she’s very highly likely to be led away. “Nice to meet you,” Bomin extends his hand out but if Minjoo sees it she ignores it completely as she whispers something into Chaewon’s ear. 

Chaewon turns her head to the second level where she barely makes out Yujin’s body lying flat on the couch. 

“Sorry, I’ve got to go…” Chaewon apologises and grabs Minjoo’s hand.

Minjoo flashes him a smile and follows closely behind Chaewon. 

“Wait, I didn’t get your num...ber…” he sighs in defeat.

+

“Can you please hurry up, she’s not light,” Minjoo grunts, arm wrapped around Yujin’s waist to keep her up whilst Chaewon fumbled for Yujin’s room card in her wallet. 

“It’s a bit hard when you’re seeing double of eve- found it!” Chaewon raises the card in the air victoriously and inserts it into the slot, pushing the door open for Minjoo.

Minjoo stumbles past Chaewon with Yujin in her arms, making a quick dash for the bed. She drops her on the edge of the bed and crashes in a pile right next to her. Chaewon follows behind after closing the door behind them and taking off her heels. She walks over to the bed and sweeps the loose strands of hair away from Yujin’s face. 

Satisfied with her work Chaewon walks over to the other side of the bed and plops herself right on beside Minjoo on the remaining gap on the bed. They both close their eyes, ready to let the sandman take them away when Yujin turns and drapes her limbs across Minjoo. The sudden movement makes Minjoo jolt and Chaewon to open her eyes. 

“What do we do?” Minjoo groans, lying stiff beside Yujin. The other woman snakes her arm around Minjoo’s waist and buries her face into her shoulder. “Wonyoung isn’t back yet and we can’t leave her alone…” 

“I can stay with her if you want to head back to your room,” Chaewon suggests.

“I don’t think I can actually leave, regardless.”

Chaewon rolls over to her side and chuckles when she sees Yujin holding onto Minjoo like a body pillow and snorts, dropping back onto the bed.

“I guess we’ll both stay then, less awkward explaining to her fiance why there’s just her and one other person in her bed as opposed to two others…”

“Ha-ha,” Minjoo rolls her eyes, “Very funny…” she gulps, the thought never having crossed her mind.

They have slept together before - in the most harmless way of course. Laying side by side in a tent during an MT, sleep over in each other’s dorms when they both stayed up late doing their assignments or weekends at each other’s homes during movie nights. A lot of this was however before Minjoo developed her feelings for Yujin.

“Tell me something about you,” Chaewon asks, propping her head up on her arms.

“What?”

“Well, we’re both two of the people that Yujin considers close and yet we know so little about each other. The only thing I know about you is that you’re a pianist who’s played for the prime minister, have a shocking lack of knowledge about mainstream music and you smell like daisies.”

“Seems like that’s all you need to know,” Minjoo teases.

“Hey, come on…” Chaewon pokes her gently.

“Well, I think that gummy bears taste the best, especially in the morning. Despite performing a lot I always get nervous before each performance and I do a killer llama impersonation.”

“Do it!”

“Not now, you’re gonna laugh and wake up Yujin…”

“You have that much confidence in it?” Chaewon raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t underestimate this face just because it’s attractive. It can be funny too…” 

Chaewon rolls her eyes good naturedly, “Fine but you’re doing it next time for me.”

“What about you?” Minjoo yawns, feeling the adrenaline beginning to disappear and fatigue settle in again. 

“I love mint chocolate but only the ice-cream, I am terrible at drinking coffee - I still find it too bitter for my liking and I have a terrible habit of losing things, like I’m surprised I came home with my clutch and phone today to be honest.”

Minjoo snorts, “Me too, a bit. Actually there’s one more thing you need to know about me,” Minjoo turns her body to face Chaewon, Yujin’s arm still around her waist. 

“What is it?” Chaewon’s eyes travel up from Minjoo’s lips to meet her eyes.

“I had a really great time tonight.”

“Was it because of the magician?” Chaewon teases, remembering the way Minjoo blushed when she told her that she liked Harry Potter.

Minjoo fights off the urge in her body to kiss her. Not in the all consuming, hungry kind of way but chastely on the cheek, or sweetly on the lips to settle the butterflies in her stomach.

“Because of you.”

+

When Yujin awakens the next morning she struggles to adjust to the blinding lights in the room. She sees first, a series of black spots in her eyes. She brings up her hands to shield her eyes, allowing them to adjust slowly before she focuses on the person beside her. 

She looks at Minjoo asleep, her cheek squished against the pillow, dribble spilling from her lips, face dangerously close to her own. Slowly she raises her hand to Minjoo’s face, brushing away the loose strands of hair off her face and caresses her cheek gently, a smile creeping on her face.

“You’re awake.”

Yujin retracts her hand quickly and turns around to see Wonyoung with Chaewon standing behind her.


	2. never not

“Mind if I join you?” Wonyoung’s sweet voice pulls Minjoo out of a reverie of thoughts.

The spring nights were still fairly cool off the back of winter but tonight it was pleasant, even in her blouse and skirt. They’re standing on the balcony of the hotel, overlooking the city where people looked like ants below and where the moon looks bigger and she felt closer to the stars.

Minjoo nods and turns back to admire the skyline as Wonyoung takes a spot beside her, leaning into the ledge of the balcony. She clasps her hands together and takes in the sight in front of her. “It’s a beautiful night isn’t it?” she says.

Minjoo nods her head in agreement.

In a few hours Wonyoung and Yujin will be married. Tonight however, is the final rehearsal dinner before the festivities tomorrow. Contrary to the name, it has little to do with rehearsals but simply a gathering of all of their closest family and friends as a formal thank you. Minjoo’s been invite - but of course she is.

“I realised that we haven’t had a proper conversation between the two of us in a while…” Wonyoung says. “...Or ever.”

Wonyoung and Minjoo rarely ever had conversations when without Yujin around. Their conversations thus far have been more shallow and surface level type conversations - how are you? How’s work? We should catch up for dinner...with Yujin - kind of conversations.

Except Minjoo suddenly thinks back to this morning when she was awoken by Chaewon, coaxing her out of her dream-like state and it makes her tense. She wasn’t sure what had happened but she remembers the tension in the atmosphere. It was the way Wonyoung had her back to her, barely acknowledging her in the room and how Yujin could only offer a wary smile.

Even Chaewon seemed tense. The way she spoke was more reminiscent of her customer service voice than the one that she had grown accustomed too over the past few days. Playful with a bit of teasing in her tone.

“I just wanted to say thank you for coming. I know how important you are to Yujin, even if I’ll never be able to understand it.”

To be honest, Minjoo barely understood their relationship as well - especially of late. She often went along with what Yujin always classified them as. They were best friends, known each other since college, stuck together through thick and thin - until Minjoo up-ed and left for another country.

“You know, she was having the worst day ever the day that you finally told me you’d come and play. When I told her it’s like all of her problems melted away in an instant…” Wonyoung’s gaze travels down the streets below as she twiddled with her fingers and gnawed at the bottom of her lip. “You made her so happy.”

Minjoo dwells on the thought and curls her finger around the empty champagne glass she had been nursing. “Actually, you did.”

She remembers the constant messages and emails from Wonyoung asking her to come. When she didn’t reply Wonyoung started sending her gifts from overseas, little trinkets, little gestures and acts of kindness to butter her up. It wasn’t until months later that Wonyoung called her directly to ask her. It was easy to ignore the messages and e-mails. Easier to dance around the topic through messages that she had spent hours writing and rewriting.

Hearing her voice on the phone however was different. On the phone Minjoo lost all her nerve and caved into Wonyoung’s request.

“You were the one who got me here, basically bugged me and buttered me up so that I couldn’t say no. You’ve done more for Yujin than I ever could. If it wasn’t for you - I’m not sure I would’ve had the courage to come…”

“Why not?”

“It’s a bit complicated…”

“Was it the reason why you moved overseas?” When Minjoo doesn’t give her an answer Wonyoung probes further. “Was it because of Yujin?”

Minjoo snorts, “You know that nothing ever happened between us right?” Minjoo turns her body to face Wonyoung.

But there’s something blooming in the darkest corner of Wonyoung’s mind and she doesn’t like it. It started this morning when she walked in on Yujin caressing Minjoo’s face. It’s something unpleasant and something that she shouldn’t be thinking about especially the day before their wedding.

It’s doubt.

“Nothing?” Wonyoung gulps. She’s looking for assurance in Minjoo’s eyes which Minjoo confirms with a slight nod of the head - bright eyes twinkling so brilliantly. “Why not?”

Minjoo throws her head back and lets out a loud laugh, “Did you want something to have happened between us?”

“No! That’s not what I meant. I’m just trying to understand how you guys are so close and yet nothing ever happened. You should hear about the way Yujin brings you up sometimes. Minjoo is a really good pianist, Minjoo and I used to visit this really good burger joint, Minjoo and I went on a hike once and almost got lost...”

Wonyoung had never thought much about it till now but Minjoo often lived like a fictional character in their relationship. Yujin would tell her so many stories about her and Minjoo and they sounded like the typical best friends who took on the world. Everything that Wonyoung knew about Minjoo was through Yujin and by the sounds of it there’s a lot that Wonyoung has to live up to.

Which begs the question as to why the seemingly most perfect girl in the world never dated someone like Yujin. Was there something wrong with Yujin? Was there something wrong with Minjoo?

Wonyoung knows that she shouldn’t let herself get carried away, but the idea had been festering all morning. Then again maybe Wonyoung had always suspected it and this morning’s incident was a trigger. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard for her to simply ignore the thoughts floating around in her mind.

Minjoo reaches for both of Wonyoung’s hands and cups them together in her hands. “Yujin is loyal. She’s like a giant puppy, not just in the way she looks like one but it’s her personality as well.” Minjoo can feel Wonyoung’s fingers looping around her own in search of support, “Yujin is loyal…” she says again, “She picked you, so trust her.”

+

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Yujin leans on the counter and draws Chaewon’s attention to the silhouette of the two women standing outside on the balcony.

She had been observing them for ten minutes, unable to clearly see the expressions on their faces from the way they had their backs against the room. It’s causing her to really worry.

“What else would they have to talk about?” Chaewon rolls her eyes.

“Should I go out there and explain?”

“Explain what, exactly?” Chaewon crosses her arms and taps her foot impatiently against the footrest of the chair. She wasn’t sure why she was so riled up at the image coming back into her head. The one of Yujin with her hand on Minjoo’s cheeks whilst she slept. Wonyoung had been polite enough, or naive enough to ignore it but Chaewon knows better, knows more about the history between them to let it slide so easily.

“Unnie…” Yujin looks at her squarely, noting how her eyes were avoiding her. When Chaewon doesn’t flinch at her reaction Yujin continues with her explanation, “You know I’m as blind as a bat, I thought it was Wonyoung. Sorry if my first natural instinct is to assume that the woman lying next to me is my fiancé.”

Chaewon wants to ask her why she couldn’t differentiate the two based on the proximity alone in a brightly lit room. Especially when they looked nothing alike. But the questions are inflammatory and have no tangible evidence to support. She would only have Yujin’s words to go on and the trust they have between each other and tonight isn’t the best night to test it.

Chaewon knows Yujin’s heart. She thinks.

“Sure,” Chaewon says, tone short.

“You don’t believe me?”

The notion hurts Yujin for a multitude of reasons but mostly because it’s simply just Chaewon. Chaewon who’s always protected her. Chaewon who she’s looked up to since she was a kid. Chaewon who’s meant to be standing by her side tomorrow as she married Wonyoung.

“What can I do to prove to you-”

“Do you love her?”

Chaewon asks, eyes slowly rising to meet Yujin’s gaze. Yujin’s seen this look a few times before. Whenever the barista gives her the wrong order, when some creep steps out of line, when people are being rude, or unpleasant towards her. Point is it’s not a look to be taken lightly.

Yujin pauses for a second to register the question, “Of course I love her…” Yujin leans into the bar, “Why would we be getting married if I didn’t?”

The answer catches her off-guard but the effect is instantaneous. Chaewon feels the tension melt out of her shoulders, the grip on her drink suddenly loosening, knuckles no longer white from holding on too tightly. She lets out a breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding and breaks out into a smile. “Of course,” she pats Yujin on the cheeks and squeezes her shoulder and finishes off her drink.

Chaewon had posed the question with Minjoo in her mind but Yujin answered with Wonyoung. Of course she did. Chaewon laughs to herself and shakes her head, feeling a little guilty suddenly. But Yujin finds herself breathing a little easier the moment Chaewon smiles, her legs trembling still however as she leaned against the bar for support.

“Unnie, once I’m married you know that it’s back on you since Eunbi and Hyewon are probably-definitely going to get married next right?” She quickly tries to change the atmosphere that was about to engulf them.

Chaewon groans and rolls her eyes, “Don’t be my mother...”

“I’m not, I’m just preparing you mentally for the attention,” Yujin teases and nudges her gently.

Chaewon loves her family, loves her mother, but sometimes they clash. It’s the reason why Chaewon is glad she isn’t at home - most of the time - because it’s also the reason why they argue. She should settle down, find someone nice, give her mother some grandkids because she’s not getting any younger.

Chaewon is happy being able to do what she does - travel the world, experience new cultures and meet new people. When she meets someone who she really likes, then she’ll consider settling. For now she’s going to continue to avoid her mother until she flies about again.

“You stopped travelling when you met Wonyoung, was it worth it?”

“I didn’t stop travelling, I just travelled less and it wasn’t because of Wonyoung it was just life. Regardless it’s even better now that I have Wonyoung to share those memories with and you can have someone too if you stopped being so picky.” Yujin pokes Chaewon’s shoulder causing her to shift sideways to dodge her.

“I am hardly picky.”

“Hmmm and your last relationship was when?”

“Relationship a few years ago, but the casual things…” Chaewon winks and Yujin fakes vomit.

“Don’t think I can look at the toilet of an airplane and not feel suspicious anymore.”

“I am a complete professional when I’m working,” Chaewon scoffs.

“But don’t you ever get lonely? Like having someone to talk to just about mundane things at the end of your day, or someone to look forward to when you get home?”

“You know that the problem isn’t me,” Chaewon rolls her eyes.

“Yes, that’s right, you’re never at fault,” Yujin nudges her and rolls her eyes.

“Having my job means that I can’t be with someone who doesn’t understand that I won’t always be there all the time. Weekends with friends and family, weeknight dinners, last minute change of plans - it’s all part of the sacrifice for being able to travel the world.”

“So what do you want? Someone who drops everything to follow you around the world?”

“Hardly. I just want someone who’ll...” she pauses trying to find the right words and Yujin leans in eagerly, waiting for an answer. “Someone who will trust me...” her voice trails off, finger tracing the rim of the glass.

Chaewon remembers the long phone calls at ungodly hours and the anxiety of the separation. She remembers the frustration in the way they were both unable to articulate how they felt through words so that everything just simply came out in the form of lashing out, yelling and crying. She remembers how tiring it was always having to pretend she was happy and ok just for the sake of others whilst her relationship was crumbling behind the scenes.

So Chaewon simply doesn’t date anymore. It’s easier on her and anyone she chooses to date even if she does feel the loneliness creep in sometimes. Like late at night when it’s cold, or when she’s had a bad day or even a good one. Sometimes it helps knowing that there’s always going to be someone in your corner regardless.

“You’re clearly asking for too much,” Yujin leans her weight into her and offers her a cheeky smile. “I know you’re going to meet someone one day who will give you that and more…Who knows maybe you’ll meet someone at the wedding? Maybe someone from Wonyoung’s side? I’m saying that because I wouldn’t trust most of my friends,” Yujin chuckles to herself.

“Have you been talking to my mother?” Chaewon shoots her a glare, eyes narrow and lips tugged into a thin line. The conversation felt reminiscent of what Eunbi had told her earlier about her mother asking for her to keep an eye out on single people at the wedding.

“I remembered something I wanted to ask…” Yujin deflects immediately, which makes Chaewon even more suspicious, “You and Minjoo…”

Chaewon gulps, “What about Minjoo?”

She never understood Minjoo’s hesitation when it came to telling Yujin exactly what happened between them and yet, time was enough to make her feel nervous about it all herself.

“She was telling me how she was on a flight and placed next to an unaccompanied minor and some stewardess helped her, and I was wondering if that was your flight… since I remember you both telling me you had the same landing time.”

“Did she say anything about the stewardess?” Chaewon’s interest is suddenly piqued. “What she looked like? How she acted?”

There’s a growing grin on Chaewon’s face that makes Yujin a little suspicious. “She said she was short and a bit funny looking, talked a lot…” The indignant look on Chaewon’s expression confirms what Yujin was thinking so she continues, “But she said that she was nice, knew how to look after kids and even made her feel less scared.”

From across the room Chaewon sees Minjoo coming back in from the balcony with Wonyoung. She’s dressed in a purple blouse tucked into her white skirt, long wavy hair sitting perfectly over her shoulders. Yujin follows her eyeline across the room to her fiance and her best friend who have seemed to spot the two cousins standing side by side.

Wonyoung smiles, waves and grabs Minjoo by the hand, dragging her across the ballroom to where they were standing.

“So, Chaewon, do you know who that stewardess was?” Yujin leans in and whispers in her ear, a teasing lilt in her voice.

“Yah, Kim Minjoo, you said I was short and funny looking?” Chaewon places her hands on her hips and flares her nose.

“I said what?” Minjoo looks at her confused alongside Wonyoung. Beside her, Yujin is shaking from trying to suppress her laughter. When she fails she draws Chaewon’s attention and wrath towards her.

“Yah, Ahn Yujin!” Chaewon puffs her chest and raises her hand in the air, about to hit Yujin when the taller girl runs away laughing. She ducks behind Wonyoung, using the equally tall woman to protect her.

That’s the good thing about Wonyoung, her family adores her so much that Yujin pretty much has immunity for bringing her in. But Chaewon is ruthless when she wants to be and she chases Yujin around her so Yujin hides behind Minjoo who is still confused at the situation in front of her.

“You should’ve told me you met each other already,” Yujin sticks out her tongue and Chaewon does it back, her face extremely close to Minjoo without her realising.

“Wait, what did I say about you?” Minjoo looks at Chaewon, seemingly ignoring what Yujin was complaining about.

“Oh, I just told her you said she was short and funny looking and talked a lot.”

“Oh come on, that’s not even a way to talk about anyone…” Minjoo grabs Chaewon by the shoulders and steps towards her, moving away from Yujin to help create a gap between them. Chaewon looks over Minjoo’s shoulder to Yujin and draws a line between her eyes and points at Yujin who’s still in hysterics.

“So why didn’t you tell me that you met my best friend on the plane?”

“I don’t think it crossed either of our minds. It never really came up in conversation with you so we left it as was,” Minjoo speaks for the both of them which was a first. “I didn’t even realise that night when we were having drinks at the bar that she was your cousin till we met the next morning at the ceremony rehearsal.”

She’s still holding onto Chaewon’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes whilst reciting the story of the first time they met. A smile creeps on her lips at the warm memories.

“I don’t care, I just thought it was something that would’ve crossed your minds. Two of my favourite people in the world meeting like that,” Yujin slots between them and loops her arms around both of their shoulders. “Can you imagine if you went to college with us as well, we would’ve had so much fun…” Yujin looks down at Chaewon who only rolls her eyes.

“And for what it’s worth, I actually thought you were quite pretty the first time I met you,” Minjoo glances over at Chaewon who meets her eyes.

Yujin retracts her hands from around their shoulders and steps backwards, “Alright then… I guess we should get going…” she tries to inject a forced laugh into the atmosphere.

+

Minjoo’s at the bar again.

She promises that she won’t let herself get carried away like the first night. Aside from the threat of waking up with a blistering headache, Minjoo didn’t feel like it. She just wanted a drink to keep her warm and make her feel light before she headed off to bed. Plus they’ve just finished the rehearsal dinner so unlike last time she’s stuffed to the brim with quality korean beef.

“Mind if I join you?” the voice she had grown all too familiar with draws her from her sea of thoughts like she has been for the past few days.

“Sure,” Minjoo turns her body slightly to face her.

She orders herself a drink from the bartender who served them a few days earlier.

“D-day is tomorrow,” Chaewon leans forward into the chair, “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Minjoo says. She’s not sure if it’s a lie entirely and even if it was she wasn’t sure if she was lying to herself or to Chaewon.

“Really? We never really spoke about everything…” Chaewon says, running her finger up and down the glass, collecting the beads of condensation on her fingertips.

Minjoo takes a sharp breath and tenses. “What’s there to talk about?” her jaw tightens as she finishes the rest of her drink.

“You can’t honestly not think that it’s not in the slightest intriguing to me as to why you’ve come to my cousin’s wedding despite the fact that you’re in love with her? So maybe the story that they guilt tripped you is true, and that you’re a saint walking amongst us - or you have some ulterior motive… like do I need to know if I need to be prepared for when the minister asks if anyone objects the marriage?” Chaewon leans in, face stern like Minjoo has never seen before.

It makes her uncomfortable but it’s not long before a grin cracks across her face.

“Wow, you really believed that, huh?”

“You’re insane,” Minjoo snorts, trying to suppress a smile.

“You don’t know anything about me,” Chaewon winks in a joking manner. “So what happened?” Chaewon asks.

It’s become evident to Minjoo that Chaewon isn’t the type to let it go easily so she concedes. It wouldn’t matter, regardless. Tomorrow Yujin will get married, the day after they’ll all fly out, Yujin on her honeymoon with Wonyoung, Minjoo back to her home in Japan and Chaewon to Dubai and then wherever she wants after.

“That’s the thing. Nothing,” Minjoo laughs bitterly.

“Did you ever want something to?”

“No, clearly I just harboured all these feelings for her for years for fun…” Minjoo rolls her eyes but her sarcasm is met with Chaewon’s silence causing her to shift nervously in her seat. “I tried to a few years ago but I was too late…”

Minjoo remembers the Christmas where she had finally mustered up the courage to finally ask. They had promised to meet each other at the bar around the campus where those who didn’t have families to go home too or anyone special to celebrate with would often hang. She had an ugly knitted sweater wrapped up neatly in a box, one that would’ve matched the one she was wearing to meet her.

Except when she entered Yujin was already sitting at the bar with someone else.

“That was the day she met Wonyoung?” Chaewon asks, voice barely above a whisper.

Minjoo nods her head.

Chaewon knows the story of how they met. The short and the long version. You don’t become the maid of honour without knowing that. They were at a bar during Christmas and Wonyoung was being pestered by the seniors who wanted her to have a drink with them. In Yujin’s version she kicks the door down, slams a few heads together and stands on top of the bar with her cape flowing effortlessly (she won’t tell them where the wind was coming from). In Wonyoung’s version, also known as the actual version, Yujin had walked up to her, pretending that they were friends and pulled her away.

Yujin asked her to join her, they were stronger in number anyways and her friend would be coming soon. Chaewon realises now that the friend was Minjoo. Minjoo who put her heart on her sleeve for the first and seemingly last time.

“You should’ve heard her call me that night, she sounded so happy. Like so genuinely happy that I didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise.”

“You could’ve told her. I doubt that your time together prior wasn’t worth more consideration than that one night.” Chaewon feels guilty for saying this. She loves and adores Wonyoung with all of her heart. After all she makes Yujin happy and for a family as tight knit as theirs that’s all she needs.

More so Wonyoung blended into the family so effortlessly, she’s kind, polite and always puts others before herself. Yujin was always lucky like that, blessed to have good people in her life but Chaewon figures it’s because she reaps what she sows.

“I found the one…” Minjoo says, “That’s what she told me.”

“Hard to compete with that, I guess…” Chaewon chuckles.

“I guess I just kept waiting instead of moving on…”

“So when you slept with me it felt like you were cheating on her?”

Minjoo laughs, wincing in her seat, “Why are you so casual with this?” Minjoo asks, sounding bemused, looking over her shoulder at Chaewon. She’s curious as to how she’s spent the last two days racked with guilt only for Chaewon to be so blasé about everything.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” she asks, looking up at Minjoo indignantly. “We’ve done nothing wrong. As far as I’m aware we’re both two consenting adults who are currently not committed to anyone else but you’re the one who’s a bit weird about it...” Chaewon’s voice trails off.

Minjoo feels apologetic again. She remembers how she had accused her wrongfully at the start for lying to her like Chaewon had ill intentions when in fact she hadn’t. Then from every point on Chaewon, despite Minjoo’s reluctance, continued to chip away at her barriers which is a feat that not many can achieve. Chaewon had no real reason to be nice to her or to care enough for her like she did.

Minjoo wonders if it’s because that’s just part of the job for her. She must be so used to serving customers regularly that taking care of Minjoo was second nature to her. Or maybe it’s first. Maybe that’s just how Chaewon is. Full of warmth that radiates through her body - it’s familiar like in the way Yujin is but it’s also different. Yujin is flame burning bright and brilliant and can be all consuming, but Chaewon is constant and strong and inviting. It’s the kind of warmth that Minjoo can bask in without getting burnt.

“It’s normal to accidentally sleep with your friend’s cousin at her wedding even though you weren’t expecting to ever see them again?”

“Maybe this is all fate then, Miss Kim,” Chaewon says, voice low and sultry a smirk tugging on the corner of her lips like she’s joking. “I mean after all, we meet on a plane, end up in the same hotel, going to the same wedding and somehow this isn’t the world telling us that we’re meant to be?”

Chaewon looks at Minjoo square in the face and holds her breath for a moment before she breaks out into a giggle.

“I’m just kidding, you should’ve seen your face.”

“Do you really think it’s fate?” Minjoo asks, turning her body this time towards Chaewon who stiffens up.

She pauses for a moment to contemplate Minjoo’s question. She had originally intended for it to be a joke, not one to believe in this herself but maybe there was a truth to it.

There’s a long pause before Chaewon answers.

“I think it’s whatever we want it to be…”

“Are you free tonight then?” Minjoo raises an eyebrow and without hesitation Chaewon nods.

+

Minjoo leads her by the hand, the tip of their fingers holding onto each other as they walk back to Minjoo’s room. Chaewon can feel her ears burn, mind filling with dizzying thoughts as she follows Minjoo in silence. “After you,” Minjoo opens the door and lets Chaewon in first, closing the door behind her.

For the first time in a long time Chaewon doesn’t know what to do with herself. Usually this part is a blur for her. The alcohol usually drives her, makes her decisions for her. They’re usually thoughtless and without any feelings but it definitely makes it easier most of the time. But she’s so sober and so aware about how she wants Minjoo to kiss her right then and there that she doesn’t know what to do. It’s a good thing however, that Minjoo takes the burden off of her by making a move first.

“May I?” Minjoo asks, eyes trailing between her lips and her eyes. It’s so nice to have someone ask. Chaewon nods her head and closes her eyes as Minjoo’s hands cup her jaw, planting her lips right on Chaewon’s. She starts off slow, easing them into each other, developing a rhythm between the two of them.

Minjoo’s hand rests on her waist as Chaewon loops her arms around her neck like it’s the most natural thing in the world to be this close.

“Are you sure about this?” Chaewon asks as Minjoo leads her towards her bed, slowly.

Minjoo smiles against her lips and kisses her in answer to her question.

There’s no haste in the way they kiss each other tonight. They pace, moving slowly, savouring every bit of each other, delving deeper with each kiss like they wanted more, needed more. Chaewon straddles Minjoo’s hips, runs her fingers up the base of her neck and into her hair.

Minjoo is a lot more alert today, she feels every sensation on her body where Chaewon is touching her. She moves her hands around Chaewon’s body, fingers gliding over her soft skin, running up her neck and lacing themselves through her hair. “You’re not going to run off again are you?” Chaewon asks between kisses.

“No.”

“Are you sure?” Chaewon stops them, both hands resting on her shoulder. Minjoo kisses her again but this time it doesn’t work like it did the first time because she stops her. Chaewon wants an answer, she wants to hear it from Minjoo’s lips. “You’re not going to think that this is a mistake in the morning?

Minjoo hears the tone in her voice, slightly wary, accompanied by the smirk on her lips to probably disguise her tone. Chaewon doesn’t believe her, not like she had any reason to but Minjoo feels even more determined to prove her wrong.

She grabs her waist and turns her over, pinning her against the bed and presses her thigh between her legs. She looks Chaewon right in the eyes, “I’m sure,” she says before leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, across her shoulder and down her chest like she’s trying to study every inch of Chaewon’s body, trying to commit it to memory.

“There’s no one else I’d rather be with tonight than you,” Minjoo says.

+

The next time Minjoo wakes up it’s because she feels the weight of the bed shifting around her.

She opens her eyes and tries to let them adjust slowly to the dimness of the room. The only light in the room was from the moonlight leaking through the window - they must’ve forgotten to pull the blinds last night. She reaches over for the switch by her bedside and switches it on, flooding the room with a warm glow. Chaewon leaps on the spot, hugging her t-shirt close to her body. “You scared me!”

“You’re leaving?” Minjoo feels a little disheartened at the lack of warmth beside her and the sight of Chaewon slipping on her shirt.

“Yeah,” she clears her throat and pulls her hair from underneath her shirt, swinging it around her right shoulder.

“So when you kept asking if I was going to run away it was so that you could leave me first?” Minjoo props herself up on her elbows.

Chaewon throws her head back and laughs, “I’m not that petty,” she says as she zips up her jeans, “I’m not sure if you remember my cousin - your friend - is getting married today. I have to get my makeup and hair done.”

She tilts her head to the side and glances at the clock. It was almost four in the morning already but Minjoo wasn’t needed until nine. “Can’t you stay? You don’t need to do your makeup, you’re pretty enough,” Minjoo says sheepishly, hoping that it would be enough to coax Chaewon back into bed, if not just for a second longer.

It seems to work because Chaewon climbs back onto the bed and caresses Minjoo’s face, a devilish smirk on her lips as their faces hover dangerously close to each other. “Nice try, unfortunately the hundreds of guests probably won’t be thinking the same.” Chaewon leans across Minjoo and scoops up the phone on the bedside table. As she pulls back Minjoo grabs her quickly and kisses her, hand running up the nape of her neck into her hair.

“What was that for?” Chaewon asks as she breaks away, her eyes travelling between Minjoo’s eyes and lips. If she was being honest Minjoo didn’t even know herself why she was overcome with the urge to kiss her but if she’s learnt anything it’s that Chaewon brings it out of her.

“Just...I’ll see you later?” Minjoo smiles softly, sleep still heavy on her eyes.

“You will. Get some sleep ok,” Chaewon caresses Minjoo’s hand still resting on the nape of her neck and climbs off the bed. Minjoo falls back onto her bed and takes a deep breath to steady herself. She knows Chaewon’s gone when she hears the door of her room open and close and it’s not long before she falls asleep after that, engulfed in her scent.

+

Yujin stands in front of the mirror, trying to straighten out the creases in her dresses. It’s been five minutes but she can’t seem to get it out.

“Hey, Eunbi unnie said you wanted me?” Minjoo pokes her head through the door to find Yujin, a vision in white, standing at the mirror. She turns around and the worried expression on her face melts away. Minjoo steps into the room and closes the door behind her. There’s just the two of them now staring at each other as Minjoo musters the ability to talk first. “You look...good.”

“Just good?” Yujin pouts.

Yujin’s fashion choices are often casual, easy to wear outfits. She prioritises her comfort above all. That isn’t to say she doesn’t clean up nice. She’s wearing hair extensions today, long, dark, wavy locks flowing loosely over her shoulders.

“You look beautiful,” Minjoo corrects herself. Satisfied with her compliment Yujin breaks out into a lopsided smile. “Nervous?” Minjoo asks.

“Just a little,” she takes a deep breath and shakes it off.

“Not getting cold feet are you?”

“Of course not!” Yujin protests.

“That’s good, cause Wonyoung’s good for you.”

“You always know what’s good for me, don’t you.”

“We weren’t best friends for nothing…”

“Past tense?”

“What?”

“Aren’t we still best friends?”

“Of course we are, I misspoke.”

Yujin purses her lips and nods. “So anyways…” she says, trying to quickly change the atmosphere around them. “Wonyoung was telling me about some of her single friends last night and I was stalking their social media page.”

“Yujin…” Minjoo groans, “I don’t know what it is with everyone, I’m fin-”

“It’s for Chaewon unnie,” Yujin clarifies.

“Oh.”

Minjoo feels a blush creep on her cheeks. She tilts her head sideways, trying to understand the question. “Because I know Chaewon well enough?”

“That's the point, you can be objective. You can tell me if you think she’s attractive,” Wonyoung pulls her by the hand and opens the door slightly to have a peak at the crowd filling the room. “There,” Yujin points out the door and pushes Minjoo in front. “Shin Ryujin.”

Minjoo looks at the girl, ribbed knit dress with a blazer, mid-length hair tucked behind her ear.

“This is what you called me in for?” Minjoo rolls her eyes.

“Yes. So?” Yujin prompts, “Thoughts?”

Minjoo bites her tongue. She’s pretty. Her eyes are stunning, smile charming and she seems to dress well but that’s probably the point of it all. It’s all about the looks. Minjoo wonders if Chaewon is the type to fall in love at first sight because she wouldn’t blame her for falling for Ryujin.

She spots Chaewon at the back of the room, directing all the guests to their seats and offering them the ceremonial program booklet. She looks beautiful, long hair half tied up whilst the rest flowed down her back in waves. The bridesmaid all wore pink but as maid of honour she wore a purple dress, standing out from the rest of them.

“You’ll need to ask Chaewon…” Minjoo bites her tongue and ducks back inside.

“Aye, you’re no fun,” Yujin closes the door again and leans against it.

Minjoo laughs incredulously, “You’re getting married in a few minutes, shouldn’t you be thinking about that?”

“Actually, I’m trying not to. It’s not that I’m afraid to get married, it’s walking down the aisle and having everyone stare at you. I already know that her extended family probably don’t think much of me considering my background.” Yujin slides down against the door and crumples into a pile.

Minjoo walks over and takes a seat beside her on the floor. She knows that despite Yujin’s loud and rambunctious personality there’s a soft part to her that she tries to bury deep down. The part that takes strangers critics to heart, that’s afraid the people who love her will eventually get tired of her.

Minjoo reaches for her hand and laces their fingers together, allowing Yujin to rest her head on her shoulder.

“Whenever I’m about to perform and I get nervous, I tend to find something to fixate on. When you get out there, find something to fixate on… someone…” Minjoo says, patting Yujin’s hand, “Look at Wonyoung. I know she’ll be able to make your nerves disappear.”

“So I shouldn’t imagine people naked?”

“Knowing you, it would just make you laugh. But also do you want to imagine your future in-laws naked?”

“You’re right,” Yujin laughs, “What about you? Are you nervous?”

“A little.”

“You can look at me then if you get nervous.” She pats her chest and sticks her chin up, a smug smile on her lips.

Minjoo laughs, “Knowing me, your face would make me laugh.”

“Hey!” Yujin pushes her playfully, sending her sideways. Minjoo rolls on the floor in a fit of giggles and Yujin laughs - enough to release some of the tension in her body.

+

Yujin and Wonyoung get married on a warm day in spring.

It’s the warmest spring they’ve had so far this season and it makes Minjoo think that maybe it’s a sign. A blessing from above. Like it’s all meant to be. It’s been a while but Minjoo plays the piano effortlessly. Music was a safety net for her. It’s familiar and it lets her drown out all the noise.

There are no hiccups, no objections and everyone’s happy.

Just like they should be.

+

“Excuse me, 1-2-Check.”

The crowd goes quiet as they all turn their attention to the center stage. The lights dim and a spotlight falls on Chaewon. “Hi,” she smiles nervously at all the attention suddenly on her whilst trying to unfold the piece of paper with one hand.

“Yujinnie... Wonyoung-ah…” she turns her head to the bridal table on the platform. She stares at them like a loving older sister, letting the sight of the both of them fill her heart, “Congratulations.”

“Yujin and I used to travel the world together, maybe that’s why we’re so close. They say you never really know a person till you live with them, and I can tell you so much about Yujin based on the amount of times we’ve stayed together on our trips. I’m not going to give anything away cause I want it to be a surprise for Wonyoung.”

The guests erupt into laughter and Chaewon glances at Yujin whose lips were turned into a forced pout. Wonyoung leans into her and kisses her cheek.

“It wasn’t until the first year of college when Yujin decided that she was going to settle down. Get a degree and live a normal life. How boring right?” Chaewon smiles, “It wasn’t until I realised that maybe it wasn’t necessarily something, but someone that was keeping her grounded...literally.”

“Yujinnie. Watching you grow up has been one of my greatest joys. Watching you fall in love has been inspirational. I can only hope to find the kind of love you’ve found, the one that sends your heart soaring to the skies but also the one that keeps you grounded.”

She turns to the other beautiful bride.

“Wonyoung you don’t know how much of a feat it is that you’ve managed to tame Yujin. I can see it the way she acts, how she talks and how she carries herself now because of you. I’m sure she’ll agree when I say you make her better, and I can only hope that she does the same for you.”

“She does…” Wonyoung nods her head and they share a chaste kiss.

There are a few awws and ahhs in the crowd as Chaewon raises her glass, “So here’s to my best friend, my favourite cousin, my sister from another mister - Yujin and the person with whom she’ll have many adventures with for the rest of her life. Here’s to the happy couple.”

+

“What are you doing here alone?” Chaewon takes the empty seat beside her and Minjoo just takes another sip of the wine in her glass. “Why aren’t you dancing?”

“Dance floor is too busy,” Minjoo shouts over the noise.

“That’s what makes it better!” Chaewon leans in forward, “Come dance with me.” Chaewon pleads as she grabs both of her hands in an attempt to drag her onto the dancefloor but Minjoo remains firm in her seat. “Come on, you’re going to put to waste those dancing skills you picked up the other day?”

Chaewon’s hair was beginning to fall loose as the day progressed. Held back together by a measly clip. “Clock strikes upon the hour and the sun begins to fade, still enough time to figure out how to chase my blues away” the song plays much to the delight of the party goers who were beginning to move towards the dance floor. Minjoo turns her attention to the sound of cheers and laughter where she finds Yujin surrounded by a crowd on the dancefloor watching as Wonyoung serenades her.

“Come dance with me,” Chaewon taps Minjoo’s thigh and flashes her a brilliant smile, “Please, you can’t waste all that liquid courage by just sitting here!” Chaewon whines and pouts and Minjoo doesn’t know why it stirs something inside of her.

“And how much liquid courage have you had already?” Minjoo asks.

“Me? I don’t need liquid courage, but I’ve had a lot of drinks - bridal party obligations. After all, it's also how Yujin is still able to stand on her feet. I’ve been taking her drinks all night.”

“You’re such a good maid of honour,” Minjoo teases.

“I am, but now that my duties are over I just want to have a good time and dance with the cutest girl in the room, so can you please come dance with me?”

Minjoo feels a blush creeping up her cheeks. She sits up and straightens herself out, leans forward and unclips Chaewon’s hair letting everything come undone. Her hair falls over her face but Minjoo quickly tucks it behind her ear and Chaewon smiles. “Now we can go,” Minjoo’s eyes turn into crescents as she smiles, letting Chaewon grab her hand and pull her onto the dancefloor.

**Oh, I wanna dance with somebody**  
**I wanna feel the heat with somebody**  
**Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody**  
**With somebody who loves me**

Chaewon pulls Minjoo right into the circle where Yujin and Wonyoung were and the crowd’s cheers get louder as she twirls out and back into Minjoo’s arms. Minjoo laughs loudly and lets herself get carried away by the vibe on the dance floor. She moves easily in tandem with Chaewon, bodies pressed up against each other whilst the crowd around them cheered loudly.

**I need a woman who'll take a chance**  
**On a love that burns hot enough to last**  
**So when the night falls**  
**My lonely heart calls**

Minjoo dips her and pulls her back up quickly, “Hey,” Chaewon gulps as she tries to catch her breath, their faces so close that Chaewon could feel Minjoo’s breath ghosting over her skin.

“Having fun?”

“A lot!” she grins and runs her hand through her hair to brush the loose strands away. They’re shouting over the noise and the crowd’s dispersed around them now. Chaewon’s eyes travel between Minjoo’s lips and her eyes before she cups her cheeks and plants a chaste kiss on her lips. “Thanks for dancing with me.”

“Pleasure is all mine,” Minjoo grabs her hand and twirls her on the spot.

“Do you mind giving us a moment?” Yujin interrupts them both.

Chaewon doesn’t offer a response because it’s not her place to but there’s a sense of dread as she watches Yujin drag Minjoo away from the dance floor, neither of them looking back.

+

“What are you doing? I was having fun,” Minjoo tries to catch her breath as Yujin lets go of her hand. She had dragged them up three flights of stairs in heels without giving Minjoo a moment to catch her breath despite her begging. Sweat’s beginning to form on the edge of her hairline but there’s still a smile on her lips though, the tackiness from Chawon’s lipstick still acting as a sweet reminder of their kiss.

Yujin’s shoulders rise and fall in time with the sound of her deeply inhaling and exhaling as Minjoo walks closer to her, “Hey, what’s wrong?” she places her hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently.

“Does Chaewon unnie make you happy?”

“What do you mean?”

“Does she make you happy?” Yujin reiterates like it’s a clear enough question except Minjoo knows it’s not. It’s the tone of her voice, and the expression on her face - jaw clenched, eyebrows furrowed - that tells her it’s probably an answer Minjoo would regret answering honestly.

But she does it anyway, “I like her.”

“She’s my cousin, Minjoo, and you’re my best friend,” Yujin’s voice rises and cracks.

There she goes again, throwing that best friend title around. Minjoo doesn’t know why that title is such a sore in her backside. It hurts, as selfish as it sounds, it hurts. Maybe three years ago they were, maybe during college they were. But Minjoo doesn’t think it’s what they are now. They can’t be - it’s just too hard.

“What about it?”

“That’s awfully selfish isn’t it? What happens if something happens? What happens if you two break up? Do I have to choose?”

“Wait, we’ve literally slept together twice and as far as I’m aware she’s going to Dubai tomorrow whilst I’m going back to Japan.”

“You’ve slept together?” Yujin raises an eyebrow at the remark. Minjoo clenches her fist and takes a sharp breath once she realises what she had said. “You slept together? You and Chaewon unnie…” Yujin asks again, there’s a slight hysteria in her voice. It feels a little weird, almost grotesque at the thought of Chaewon and Minjoo for some reason - even though she speaks to Chaewon about her relationships - even though she knows all too well about all of Minjoo’s. “Since when were you the type to sleep around?”

“I’m not, it was just I was feeling nervous and we had a few drinks…”

“You felt nervous so you slept with my cousin? Do you do this every time you’re about to perform as well?”

“I didn’t know she was your cousin, Yujin, otherwise I wouldn't have had. But things happened and she was there for me when I needed someone.”

“But I was here!” Yujin says indignantly. She doesn’t mean to raise her voice but Minjoo can hear the frustration in her voice.

“Not in the way I need you to be.” She doesn’t mean for it to come out in such an accusatory tone.

“What? You mean because we can’t sleep together?” Yujin digs in her heels and glares at her.

“I meant, you were just busy with your wedding and I couldn’t bother you…” she’s trying to calm herself down. They’re both so loud that it makes Minjoo wonder if it wasn’t for the loud music would the guests be able to hear them.

“That’s ridiculous, I’m always here for you.”

“Yeah except you’re not.”

The conversation was going around in circles and Minjoo could feel herself giving in. The truth on the tip of her tongue ready to roll off at any given moment.

“What? How much time have we spent together over the past few days and you couldn’t find the time to tell me that you were feeling nervous? Honestly if you didn’t want to do it then you should’ve just told me that you didn’t want to do it. I would’ve been happy, just so long as you were here I would’ve been happy...”

She doesn’t get it. Yujin doesn’t get why Minjoo was so nervous but of course she wouldn’t. “It doesn’t matter anymore, it’s over, it’s done…” Minjoo wants to walk away, she should walk away right now before their fragile friendship could crumble anymore in her hands.

There’s a moment of silence as Yujin studies Minjoo’s face. “You’re not talking about the performance…”

_Shit._

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well I do.”

“You really don’t.” Minjoo retreats slowly, ready to walk away.

“Minjoo is it your performance or our relationship that’s done?” Yujin crosses her arms and taps her foot impatiently on the floor. Yujin notices how Minjo visibly tenses up from her expression to her shoulders and the way her fist is curled into a ball. When Minjoo doesn’t answer she changes her question, “You didn’t want to be here, did you?” Yujin asks, wanting to confirm her earlier suspicions.

A beat of silence.

“No.” Minjoo says honestly.

Yujin bites her lip and nods her head, she was already bracing herself for the response but it only made her realise how little control she has over her subconscious. She feels tears welling up in her eyes, dry eyes stinging.

She originally brushed off Minjoo’s resistance as typical. The girl was usually an introvert and big parties were hardly her thing but this was hardly any party, this was Yujin’s wedding. When Yujin had asked her to be a bridesmaid Minjoo again had resisted. She wanted to be able to enjoy the wedding as a bystander and not part of the team running the show. Plus, being in a different country would’ve made it hard for them to plan according to Minjoo so once again Yujin brushed it off.

When Yujin hadn’t received an RSVP from Minjoo she wondered if she had forgotten. It shouldn’t matter if she had any plans because you should be there for your best friend’s wedding. She had called her for a week, spammed her with messages and emails only for Wonyoung to break the news for her. She had responded to Wonyoung instead of her but it didn’t make a difference because Minjoo was coming.

In hindsight it was as clear as day and yet Yujin still hoped otherwise.

“Why?”

Minjoo hesitates. She’s calculating all the possible scenarios in her head where telling the truth ends well for them. This was always the thing about their relationship. A series of calculations and possibilities. A whole lot of theory - all theory.

“Minjoo!” Yujin raises her voice.

“It just sucks seeing the person you’re in love with marry someone else.”

She said it. She finally said it - but the forced confession doesn’t make her feel any better. In fact it makes her feel like utter shit. Minjoo feels like she’s ready to vomit, run away, do anything but to stand here and face Yujin.

“You love me? Since when?” Yujin asks, a tremble in her voice.

“It was a long time ago…”

“College?”

Minjoo doesn’t answer, she’s tired of answering.

“Minjoo, I waited for you. Every time when we used to stay up late I always felt like you wanted to tell me something and so every night I waited with you, waited till maybe you had the courage to tell me what you wanted to tell me.”

“Wait, did you like me as well?” Minjoo feels bitter at this revelation. “And despite this you never thought to tell me what you felt either?”

There’s something about this information that rubs her the wrong way. Yujin doesn’t meet her eyes either which tells her she probably realised what this meant. All they needed was for one of them to have been brave enough to make the first move but neither of them did. Or rather neither of them saw the risk worth taking.

“I was scared for the exact same reason why you never made the first move either. Scared that if you didn’t like me back that I’d lose your friendship as well. Then it just became better to have you close to me than to not have you at all…” Minjoo’s voice trails off.

“You moved countries, Minjoo. You ran away, was that really being close to me?”

“What did you want me to do Yujin? Tell you I love you? Ask you to run away with me? I think we’re a little late for this revelation. You’re married now and then before that you two were dating.” Minjoo says bitterly but Yujin shakes her head. She rushes over and wraps her arms around her, tightly, chin resting in the crook of her neck.

“I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you…”

Minjoo keeps her hands immobile by her side because she knows that if she was to hug her back there would be a part of her that would never want to let her go. Still she lets herself get wrapped up in Yujin’s warmth for one last time.

“You’re happy now,” Minjoo says softly into her ears. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

“Yujin, Minjoo?” Minjoo tilts her head upwards to find Wonyoung staring at them.

“Congratulations, Yujin-ah.” Minjoo pats her back quickly, a feeling of guilt filling her up as she met Wonyoung’s gaze. Minjoo pulls away and squeezes Yujin’s shoulder awkwardly and quickly excuses herself.

Yujin was happy, Wonyoung really did make her happy, but there was that annoying part they kept eating away at her. The one that wanted to tell Minjoo that she always made her feel really happy too.

Minjoo stops in front of Wonyoung and forces a smile, “I’m going to fly out tomorrow morning,” Minjoo wants to reassure her that they wouldn’t have to worry about her for much longer, “Thanks for inviting me tonight. Take care of her for me, ok?”

“You know I will,” Wonyoung says, her voice low and firm, the usually bright and cheerful expression non existent on her face.

Minjoo nods her head and walks away first, for Yujin’s sake and for Wonyoung. Yujin looks at Wonyoung apologetically, wondering how long she had been standing there.

+

When Minjoo arrives back at her room she finds Chaewon huddled by her door, knees pulled close to her chest and head buried in her arms. “I’m beginning to wonder if you have a room, Miss Kim,” Minjoo teases, lowering herself down beside her to offer her a hand.

She pulls Chaewon to her feet with all the strength she can muster after a long day. Apparently it’s a lot because Chaewon practically launches herself into Minjoo’s embrace, sending her a few steps backwards to keep them upright. Minjoo walks them towards the door, Chaewon’s arm looped around her waist, head resting against her shoulder even as they both stumble towards the door where Minjoo fumbles for her swipe card.

“I do but I’m so used to you by now it would seem a waste to spend our last night together, alone.” Chaewon leans in as Minjoo tries to support her body whilst pushing through the door. She’s a bit intoxicated, maid of honour duties meant taking the bullet for Yujin every time someone wanted her to take a drink which Chaewon has done well.

“Maybe tonight isn’t the best night.”

She helps Chaewon to the bed where the bridesmaid falls back flat on her back, hair sprawled all over as Minjoo takes a seat on the edge of the bed. She feels an incredible weight on her chest, emotions still frayed from the conversation with Yujin on the rooftop. They both stay in the silence, neither sure of what to say first.

“So what happened between you two? When Yujin pulled you up to the rooftop?” Chaewon doesn’t mean to seem nosy, but there was something nagging at her the moment she watched Yujin drag Minjoo away. A sinking feeling settling into the pit of her stomach. She props herself up on her elbows and slowly positions herself upright on the bed, legs curling beneath her dress.

“Nothing, we just talked and I wished her and Wonyoung good luck,” Minjoo says, leaving out everything else about questions about her relationship with Chaewon and a useless late confession.

“So are you over her then?” Chaewon asks, a note of caution in her voice.

“I don’t know…” She wishes she could offer Chaewon a better answer. If she was being honest, there was something about that conversation that felt quite final. “...No, I have to be. She’s married now.” Minjoo sighs, shoulders drooping.

They say that acceptance is the first step and whilst it had never been at the forefront of her mind to wish for Yujin and Wonyoung to break up, subconsciously she was always hoping for Yujin to come back to her.

There’s a twinge in her chest that she wouldn’t entirely associate with sadness. Her mind is beginning the process of detoxing, unsewing the roots from the seed she had subconsciously planted in the back of her mind for years. It hurts a bit, but maybe it’s for the best.

“I’m guessing you’re going to need some alone time to process this?”

Minjoo nods her head.

Chaewon shifts to the edge of the bed, placing a hand on Minjoo’s shoulder. “Remember last night when we were talking about fate and you asked me if I thought us meeting was fate?” Her hand trails down Minjoo’s spine before she places them back in her lap. “I was joking, but then you made me think…I think it could be because despite how deeply woven the important people in our lives were the world decided that this was the best time for us to meet.”

“You find misery charming?” Minjoo chuckles, leaning into her.

“I’ve found everything you’ve chosen to show me and even the parts you’ve chosen not to, charming.” Minjoo turns her head to look at Chaewon and studies her face, “So I would hate to not ask and spend the rest of my life wondering what could’ve been. I’m leaving in a few hours to Dubai and I was wondering if you’d come with me.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to answer now. Actually, don't answer now,” she grimaces at the thought of the rejection. “If anything I’ll take your appearance or lack of tomorrow as the answer and then at least I’ll be able to drown myself in my work. But I got you a ticket on my staff benefits for my flight.” Chaewon hands over the piece of paper in her hand to Minjoo that she had been holding onto for the past twenty minutes as she waited for Minjoo to return to her room.

“What would I do in Dubai?”

“Sandboarding, visiting the fountain, the miracle garden… or just be with me…” Chaewon looks at Minjoo and smiles, “I like you, Minjoo - despite the short time we’ve had together and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering what could’ve been if I never asked.”

“I…”

“Think about it?” Chaewon squeezes her hand and slowly stands up, “I’m not asking for a lifetime, just a chance.”

+

There’s a silent tension in the room that neither of them choose to acknowledge. She’s blaming it on the alcohol and terrible hangovers they’re both trying to nurse but she knows that there’s more to it. “We haven’t been this hungover since we were in your senior year of college.” Wonyoung closes her suitcase and stands it upright.

“Yeah, it was a good party last night…”

“Do you remember when we first met in second year. I was about two drinks in when you came along. I couldn't have been happier when you walked through the door at the bar and saved me from all the seniors creeping around. Ahn Yujin, my hero,” Wonyoung’s eyes turn into crescents at the memory still fresh in her mind.

“You’re already getting sentimental when we’ve been married for a few hours?”

“So when Chaewon said that you stopped travelling for someone in first year - she was talking about Minjoo?”

Yujin tightens her grip on the shirt in her hand, her knuckles turning white. “That was a long time ago…”

“It didn’t sound like that last night, on the rooftop.”

Yujin freezes, wondering how much of it Wonyoung had heard, wondering if she said something that she shouldn’t have. Yujin feels guilty. Guilty for putting Wonyoung through this merely hours after they had said I do.

“Which part?” Yujin asks, still shoving her clothes into her duffel bag.

“If Minjoo had told you whilst we were dating that she loved you would you have left me for her?”

“Of course not,” Yujin snorts. She answers at a speed that makes Wonyoung feel nervous. Like she hasn’t thought about it, or she’s lying. It doesn’t help that Yujin isn’t looking at her either.

“I don’t believe you.”

“We’re seriously not going to fight a few hours after being married right?”

“We’re not fighting? I’m just…” Wonyoung is at a loss for words, which is rare for her. She’s usually able to eloquently articulate how she feels but for some reason her mind is a mess. “I knew she always meant something to you and it just makes so much sense after everything that happened this weekend how you feel about her so you can’t blame me for second guessing…”

“How I _felt_ about her…” Yujin corrects her.

Yujin turns around to look at her and sees a wetness forming in Wonyoung’s eyes. Her face makes her knees buckle and everything melts away. She walks over and sweeps the loose strands of her away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

“Fortune favours the bold,” Yujin says.

“Should we have signed a prenup?” Wonyoung asks, sniffing her nose. She had, despite her parent’s insistence, decided that she could trust Yujin. That if she really did know the woman she was getting married to, Yujin could care less about Wonyoung’s fortune.

“That’s not what I meant.” Yujin is trying to put this as eloquently as possible, afterall it was always Wonyoung between the both of them that was more crafty with her words.

Minjoo and Yujin always walked the fine line between friendship and something more but neither of them were brave enough to take the plunge and maybe that was it. Maybe deep down, the reality was, that they both never found the fall worth taking, the risk wasn’t worth the reward. The chance to be in love with each other wouldn’t have been worth the heartache that could’ve followed. Yujin had been dwelling on this thought all night till she had finally accepted it.

They were ill-timed and now Yujin has Wonyoung.

“Yujinnie?”

“You make me want to be brave,” Yujin says after much thought “I would risk everything for you, for us.” Yujin cups Wonyoung’s cheek and smiles. “I chose you,” Yujin says “Given everything, I will always choose you, again and again.”

Wonyoung’s eyes soften as she melts into the palm of Yujin’s hands.

They’re going to be ok, Yujin knows it.

+

“Call us when you land?” Eunbi hugs Chaewon tightly.

“It’ll be night time when I land over here.”

“Doesn’t matter, we just want to know you’re safe.” Mrs. Kim chimes in sternly.

“It would be tragic if I died single, right mum?” Chaewon teases. Her mother was always more lenient on her especially since she was the youngest. Not to say it changes the way she thinks about Chaewon’s relationship status.

“Don’t even joke about that,” Mrs. Kim wraps her arms around Chaewon and kisses her head.

“Mum! This is embarrassing!” Chaewon protests, “I’m old enough!” she says but she melts into her mother’s arms causing Eunbi to laugh.

“Are we embarrassing Chaewon unnie?” Yujin’s voice echoes in the space. She hops over holding Wonyoung’s hand and dragging her luggage behind her.

“Don’t you start…” Chaewon rolls her eyes.

“Are you flying out soon?”

“Three hours.”

“Got yourself a lift yet?”

“I’ll catch a taxi outside. I was just waiting to say goodbye to you all.”

Wonyoung leaps at her first, pushes Yujin aside gently and wraps her arms around Chaewon. Chaewon pats her back, strokes her hair and smiles.

“Thank you, for everything,” Wonyoung says, realising that after everything that played out last night they had no time to sit down and unwind. “I’m glad you were up there with us.”

“You guys did great yesterday.” Chaewon holds her by the shoulder, “She’s your responsibility now ok, no take backs.”

“I’m so loved, so loved,” Yujin laughs sarcastically in the background. Chaewon lets go of Wonyoung and walks over to Yujin, wrapping her arm around her as well, tip-toeing to reach her.

“I’ll see you again in a few weeks?”

“You better…” Yujin says sternly, nuzzling her face into the crook of Chaewon’s neck causing her to burst out into a fit of laughter.”

“When are you two flying out?” Eunbi chimes in.

“Tomorrow night, we wanted to rest up properly before we threw our bodies into another timezone,” Wonyoung says.

“Actually can I talk to you for a bit?” Yujin leans into Chaewon’s ear, “Privately.”

“Uhmm… sure.”

Chaewon leaves her suitcase with Eunbi and follows Yujin across the lobby. No one else seems to notice because they’re wrapped up in their goodbyes.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“I know about you and Minjoo,” Yujin says, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh get over it, so we met on the plane…”

“Not the airplane…” Yujin looks at Chaewon intently before she understands what she was implying.

“It was your wedding Yujin but also it’s nothing you need to know about regardless!” Chaewon’s voice is slightly raised, already on the defence.

“Unnie, relax. I just wanted to know why you didn’t feel like you could’ve told me about it.” They both look at each other for a moment, their silence speaking volumes. There’s a smirk tugging on the corner of both of their lips, “Yeah, ok, I understand,” Yujin rubs the back of her neck awkwardly. “Is it too much if I ask what’s going to happen now?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Chaewon says bluntly.

It works because Chaewon doesn’t know regardless. She’ll find out in a few hours if Minjoo boards the plane but until then they haven’t seen each other all morning. She’s not even sure if Minjoo is still around but there’s a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach since all the guests should’ve been checking out at the same time. Minjoo was probably long gone if she wasn’t around.

“Right, you’re right…”

Chaewon takes a deep breath and loosens up. “Look, you’re married now. Just go enjoy your honeymoon and let us singles deal with our own relationships.”

“If you really like her, you should go for it…” Yujin says, receiving an odd look from Chaewon. She wasn’t ready for that, “I’m not saying that I’m giving you my blessing or anything! What I meant is you don’t need my blessing whatsoever,” Yujin is quick to clarify, “All I mean is you’re both adults after and I’d be really happy if you did. You guys are sorta a great match.”

Chaewon forces a smile, “Well unfortunately it’s not really up to me.”

+

Minjoo stares at the departure board and back at the ticket in her hand heading home. She definitely deserved it after what this trip had put her through. She just wants to go back to her apartment with her plant babies and crawl back into bed and sleep. She doesn’t want to talk to anyone or be disturbed for the next few days to make up for how much the past week has drained her social battery.

She notes the later departure time for another flight who’s code she had memorised off by heart. Digging her pocket for the ticket, Minjoo pulls it out and looks at it as Chaewon’s voice echoes in her head.

A chance.

Minjoo scrunches the ticket and shoves it back into the pocket of her pants.

+

“Welcome abo-” Chaewon looks up to be greeted by the face she had grown acquainted with over the past few days. “Minjoo…” she’s shocked to see the other woman aboard, resigned to the fact that she probably didn’t have a chance. Minjoo hands her the boarding pass as she smiles at her but Chaewon doesn’t even glance at it because she knows. “14A on the right hand side…”

“Thanks,” Minjoo takes back her ticket and picks up her carry but Chaewon reaches for her hand. She grabs her by the arm, thumb sliding down to her wrist. It’s just the two of them left at the door whilst the other passengers moved to their seats and the flight attendants went about their business.

“I’m not her, you know that right.” Chaewon’s voice is soft but steady, there’s a certainty in it that Minjoo has learnt to appreciate. Chaewon knows who she is, she knows what she wants and for someone like Minjoo it’s both terrifying and admirable.

Minjoo wants to tease her. The irony is that she’s the next closest thing to Yujin. She’s her cousin, she’s family. They share the same bloodline. Except Minjoo meets her eyes and sees the sincerity in them, sees the half smile that's on her face and her expression softens.

Minjoo reaches for Chaewon’s hand on her wrist and wraps them protectively in her own. “I know, that’s good.”


End file.
